DDLC: The Most Important Person
by sremiehzla
Summary: In a world where Sayori's depression is untampered with by Monika (and where MC catches on just a little bit earlier), there is hope for them to find happiness together.
1. Friday Morning

(I am a first time writer, so please be gentle. Also, any input would be greatly appreciated!)

 ** _I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story_**

_

I wake up to my alarm ringing in my ear, almost falling out of bed as I flinch in response to the sudden noise. I'm sweating, and my bed is damp. I must have had a nightmare or something, but I don't remember whatever it was. I wipe my hands up and down my face, still not really awake. I look at my clock, and realize that it's Friday, meaning that I need to get ready for school. I get up and head for the shower.

As the warm water rushes over me, I begin to feel more like myself, thinking over what exactly has happened this week. I've never had much motivation to go to school, but that changed when I joined my school's literature club on Tuesday. I've gotten to know so many new people all at once thanks to joining the literature club, and I like them all well enough so far. We do club activities, mostly involving writing poems, and we are planning to hold an event for the upcoming school festival. Surprisingly, though, the one thing that keeps entering my head is Sayori, my childhood best friend who invited me to the literature club. What she said yesterday on our walk home is really bugging me.

She asked me whether I would rather walk Yuri home than her, if I got the choice. It seems ridiculous to me that that would even be a question. Not that I hate Yuri, but I would much rather hang out with Sayori, any time. That's what I told her. Still though...

 _"You think about me too much sometimes,"_ Sayori said, obviously uncomfortable. _"Yuri would deserve it if she wanted it."_

It's almost like Sayori was trying to find an excuse for me to spend time with other people, which is really unlike her.

I finish showering and get dressed. I head to the kitchen and start making some waffles. I look at my clock, which says that I still have a half hour to get going. I decide that I'm going to make some extra waffles to give to Sayori on the way to school. I eat the waffles that I prepared for myself, finish getting ready, and pour the mix for Sayori's waffles into the waffle maker (That's right, we do waffles properly). Wrapping the waffles in a paper towel, I'm already ready to walk out of the door 15 minutes early. Although, it's probably for the best, just in case Sayori overslept too much and I need to wake her up.

_

What the hell was I thinking? Standing outside Sayori's house, I realize what a breach of privacy this is. I texted her on the way over to see if she was awake, but she's probably still asleep or in the shower, because the message hasn't been viewed. I let myself into her house, which is unlocked as usual, and notice that the water isn't running. I sigh, because that means she's probably sleeping, and head upstairs toward her room after setting down my things.

That feeling of breaching her privacy once again stops me outside of her room. Why am I so nervous about this? We're just friends, right? I _have_ been spending more time with her because of the club, but... No, she's just a friend. I don't really want her to wake up and see me peeking through the door, so I decide that I'll try opening the door silently. I gently open the door.

I look toward Sayori's bed, where she's laying, but see something that I don't expect: Sayori is laying awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her face is pale, and she has red marks at the base of her eyes and on her cheeks. I can hear her heavy breathing from all the way at the door. She's obviously been crying. What the hell is going on? I don't think I've ever seen seen her this upset. I decide that the best way to approach her probably isn't to let her know that I've been peeking at her. I close her door most of the way before knocking on it and walking in.

"Hey Sayori, are you awake yet?" I push open the door and walk in with the waffles.

As she flinches and looks to see who is coming in, Sayori's entire face gets pink, making it harder to see the marks on her face from the tears. "A-Anon!? W-What are you doing here?"

"I made you some breakfast, because you always oversleep and wouldn't have enough time," I say, setting the food down next to her. "Why are you still asleep? I know that I'm early, but I'd think that even you would be at least awake by now."

Sayori suddenly looks panicked, and grabs her phone from the side table, saying, "What time is it?" After a few seconds, her expression softens. "You texted me to tell me that you were coming..."

"Oh, yeah. I really just wanted to see if you were awake yet. Don't worry about it."

She gets up and grabs her uniform from her drawer. "I'll take a fast shower," she says, turning toward me with a small smile. "But if I don't get ready in time, I don't want you to be late because of me, so..." She trails off.

I chuckle. "Well then I guess you better get ready fast, because I'll be waiting for you."

It looks like she wants to argue the point, but she lets it go and walks to her bathroom.

Red flags are popping up everywhere right now. Her crying, the fact that she didn't eat the waffles before going to her shower, and her suggestion that I leave without her are all bugging me. I wonder if something happened to her...

_

I hear Sayori running down the stairs just in time for us to leave. Her hair is messy, her bow is crooked, and her collar is uneven. I can't say that I'm surprised, because this is how she usually looks anyways. As she slips on her shoes she turns toward the kitchen and jumps a little when she sees me standing there. I hold out the waffles to her in one hand and a lunch bag in the other.

"I made your lunch for you while you were in the shower, because I knew you probably wouldn't have time," I say, with a light chuckle.

For a little while, Sayori doesn't say anything, but then Sayori gives me a concerned look. "You're too nice to me," she finally says. "Why did you do this for me?"

I let out a nervous laugh. "What are you talking about? I'm just doing a couple of favors for you. C'mon, we need to get going to be on time."

Sayori takes the food and we start walking. We're both silent while she eats, but I'm getting more concerned about her. Normally, she could have eaten double this amount by now.

As she swallows the last of the waffles, she flashes me a grateful smile. "Thanks for that, they were really good."

We walk in silence for the rest of the way, and we reach the school a little bit earlier than I thought we would. Standing in the courtyard, mixed in with the other groups of friends who chat before school, I see Sayori is spacing out. I've had enough of this, I need to know what's wrong.

I place my hand on Sayori's shoulder, snapping her back to reality. "Hey Sayori, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing... I was just spacing out again..."

"I'm not talking about that, specifically. This morning, you were crying before I showed up, weren't you?"

Sayori's eyes widen a little bit. "H-How did you..." She stops herself, and goes silent for a moment, looking at the ground. "I'm sorry for worrying you. It's really nothing."

"No it's not, Sayori. All morning, you've been acting strange."

"You have been, too." Sayori looks at me me, and chuckles a little. "You made me breakfast and lunch, and even came to wake me up this morning."

"Well, that's because... The thing you said yesterday about me walking home with Yuri almost made it seem like you were trying to get me to stop spending time with you."

For a few seconds, Sayori doesn't have a response for me. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for making you waste your worry and effort on me like that."

"What are you talking about Sayori? I'm the one who chose to come see you this morning. If you really want me to stop worrying about it, then you need to tell me what happened."

"Nothing happened, really! I-" Sayori is cut off by the school's first bell. "I-I'll tell you later."

"Alright. I'll see you later, then," I say, turning to go to class.

I know I won't be able to forget about this until I know what's happening with her. I usually don't see Sayori during lunch, but I'll look for her today. If I don't see her there, then I'll still see her at the literature club and on the way home.


	2. Friday, The Literature Club

_(Note: The point of this story is that Sayori's depression is untampered with. That means that she still feels depressed, just less so at this point than in the game, so she doesn't hate herself quite as much. Also, I promise I'll try to explain everything if you guys bring up any concerns.)_

 ** _I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story_**

_

As the bell rings over the loudspeaker, I realize that it's already the end of the day. I've been thinking about Sayori all day, so most of my classes went by pretty fast. I wasn't able to find her during lunch, so I pack up my things and hurry to the literature club.

I'm the second one to arrive after Yuri, who smiles and greets me. "Hello, Anon. How are you today?"

"Hi Yuri. I've been... fine. How about you?"

"I have to say that today was pretty good for me," she responds with a smile. After a couple seconds of silence, during which she is looking for something in her bag, she asks, "Have you happened to start reading Portrait of Markov yet?"

"N-No. Sorry, I've been kinda busy and I..." I can't think of an excuse other than being busy. It's probably because I'm distracted, thinking about Sayori.

"It's fine," she says, chuckling.

Natsuki is the next to come in, and she walks over to us. "Have either of you seen Monika? I need to talk to her about something."

"Nice to see you too, Natsuki," I say, trying to sound sarcastic.

"She hasn't been here yet," Yuri says kindly.

Natsuki smiles toward Yuri. "Thank you very much," she says to her while simultaneously punching my arm.

I'm not going to lie, it hurt. I keep forgetting how strong she is for her size, so I have a hard time taking her seriously until she hits me.

Natsuki turns to me. "Maybe you'll think twice next time before being rude like that to a lady."

"You're the rude one," I say, laughing uncomfortably.

Natsuki raises her fist at me, and I flinch. This really gets Natsuki to start laughing at me. Yuri even laughs a little bit.

"Whose side are you on?" I plead desperately.

The door to the classroom opens, and I see Sayori walk in. I remember our conversations this morning. She looks at the three of us and smiles. She suddenly seems a lot more upbeat than earlier. She sets down her things and skips over to us.

"Hey guys," she says, smiling radiantly. "What're you talking about?"

Rubbing my arm, I reply, "Not much. We're just kinda waiting."

Sayori gives me a frown. "That's no fun." After thinking for a couple seconds, her face lights back up. "Who wants to take a trip to the vending machine with me?"

Remembering Sayori's stunt from yesterday, Yuri, Natsuki and I laugh together.

"I didn't think it was a bad idea..." Sayori looks pretty disappointed.

I put my hand on her shoulder, still laughing a little. "Sure, I'll go with you. Why not?" I want to spend a little time with her anyways.

Sayori and I look at Natsuki and Yuri to see if they'll come, but they both refuse. So, off to the vending machine, I leave the classroom with Sayori. Sayori hums to herself as we walk down the hall. Is she really feeling better, or is it an act?

"Hey Sayori, you don't have any money on you, right?"

She swivels around and resumes her light steps, but going backwards. "Nope!" she says, showing me her brightest smile.

I never realized how cute Sayori can look. I mean, I've always thought she was a little cute, but right now, her smile is really too much. I can feel my cheeks blush. How much do I really care about her? I've never really thought about it much...

"Good thing I have money, then," I say, averting my eyes.

As we each select something from the vending machine, I see Sayori rocking from side to side in anticipation of her packaged cookie. It's hard to imagine that this is the same girl I saw this morning. Sayori notices me looking at her.

"What's up?" she asks innocently.

"Oh, it's nothing. You just seem a lot happier than earlier, that's all."

Her smile fades slightly. She reaches in to grab our snacks, and hands me mine. I can tell straight away when it fades that it wasn't a geniune smile.

"I know I told you that I'd tell you what all that was about, but... I'll tell you later. I promise," she says with another smile. "Now let's get back. Monika is probably there by now."

"Yeah."

I smile as Sayori leads the way back to the clubroom. Oh well. Even though I won't be able to get over it, I know Sayori well enough that I know I won't be able to make her tell me. She's too stubborn. We reach the club room and Sayori pushes the door open.

"Oh, where have you two been?" Monika greets us as we enter. She glances at the cookies, and answers herself, "Got some snacks, I see."

I look at Sayori, whose cookie is already halfway gone, and then back down at my unopened one. I open it up and take a bite. It's actually not that bad. I've never actually eaten one myself, despite buying them for Sayori plenty of times. I look back over to her. Her cookie is gone, and she's crouching down a little bit, looking up at me with puppy dog eyes. She doesn't need to say anything for me to figure out what she wants. I break my cookie in half and hold it out to her.

"Oooh, you're the best, Anon!" she exclaims a bit louder than I think she wanted.

I take another bite of my half, but by the time I do, Sayori has already shoved her whole half in her mouth. _Seriously, how does she do that?_ I eat the rest of mine before she can beg for some more. Sayori is about to complain to me, but Monika, Natsuki, and Yuri start talking all around us.

"So Monika, were you late because of practicing piano again?" Yuri brings up.

"Yeah..." Monika give an embarrassed chuckle.

"It must take alot of determination to take up piano while you're a club president. Especially with the festival coming up."

"I suppose, but the club wouldn't be here without all of you guys."

Sayori jumps in, saying, "That's true, but you still organize the club, come up with activities, and soo many other things! You're really amazing Monika!"

I'm tempted to bring up how much effort Sayori puts in too, but I stay quiet. Monika smiles sheepishly and rubs the back of her neck.

"Aaahh," Natsuki stretches. "I really can't wait for the festival, though."

Everyone seems a little suprised at this.

"But yesterday, you said you didn't want to perform," Sayori points out.

"Well, I don't, but aside from our part in the festival, it's a whole day of relaxing and eating food!" Natsuki suddenly sounds a little like Sayori.

"Ooh! I feel the same!" Sayori seems ecstatic that she and Natsuki are both looking forward to the same things.

Natsuki turns toward Monika. "Hey, Monika, do you know if anyone is planning on bringing squid to the festival?"

"Squid?" Monika inquires, looking confused. "That's... a pretty specific thing to look forward to."

"Oh, come on. You can't tell me that you, of all people, don't like squid."

"I never said that," Monika says, even more confused. "And what do you mean 'you of all people'?"

Natsuki smiles. "Because it's right in your name! Mon- _ika_!"

Nobody says anything for a little bit. I think everyone suddenly realizes that Natsuki's entire point in talking about the festival was this single pun, which wasn't very good anyways.

Sayori suddenly bursts out laughing. "Oh I get it!!" She starts tearing up a little with her laughter.

I chuckle a little too, but only because Sayori is being so ridiculous. I think she is laughing genuinely, but I can't really tell. Monika looks amused.

"That's not how you pronounce my name, Natsuki," Monika says with a small laugh.

"Whatever," Natsuki shrugs it off. "I'm really looking forward to the festival, though."

After a few seconds of silence, Sayori slumps onto a desk. "Monika, are we doing anything today? I'm booorred!"

"Other than sharing poems and doing some festival planning, no. Sorry if you were expecting something," Monika says, apologetically.

Sayori, Monika and I all discuss the festival, while Yuri and Natsuki each go to read their books.

"All of the posters are put up," starts Monika, "but we have no real plan other than reading poems and serving cupcakes."

"Ooh, how about..." Sayori comes up with about a dozen different ideas, mostly involving food, that we could employ at our event. Even though none of her ideas are really good, it's impressive that she can come up with so many things.

"I think we're good on food, Sayori," Monika says, smiling. "... Alright, I think that all we really need are decorations."

"Yuri would probably be good at making those!" Sayori says. "She's so thoughtful, and smart, and she can probably come up with great ideas!"

What Sayori said earlier about Monika and now about Yuri makes it seem like they're better at everything than her. It bothers me a little bit that she even thinks that way.

"Ah, I see. I suppose Yuri can get that together over the weekend," Monika says.

Sayori's face suddenly gets serious. "Wait a minute... If Yuri is getting decorations and Natsuki is baking..." She looks at Monika. "And you and I are..." She then looks at me, panicked. "Anon! You're the only person without something to do over the weekend!"

I raise an eyebrow at Sayori. "I'm fine with that. What are you two doing over the weekend though?"

Monika answers, "We're designing pamphlets to give to attendees. They'll have the poems everyone will perform, too, so we'll need to know by Sunday."

Monika looks at the clock, so I do as well. We normally don't share poems for another 15 minutes or so, so I'm surprised when Monika stands and calls out to the club.

"Okay, everyone! We need to talk about the school festival at the end, so let's share our poems a little early today!"

Sayori looks excited, but her face is also a little red. I wonder if it might be that she put more personal emotion into today's poem. I know I did. Sayori quickly jogs to her bag to get her poem, and I retrieve mine as well.

I walk up to Sayori first to share my poem with her.

"Yay, you picked me first!" She beams. "Do you want to share first, or me?"

_

(Note _: The next chapter will be poem sharing only, and I really want to do well with the poems. The only ones I'll need to write myself are Sayori's and Anon's. I already have a good idea for Sayori's theme, but any ideas for either one would be appreciated!_ )


	3. Friday, Poem Sharing Time!

_(Note: I'm not going to type up Yuri's and Natsuki's poems, as they'll be the same beach ones. I am going to rewrite part of Monika's because she isn't self aware now, along with all of MC's and Sayori's.)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed_** ** _in this story_**.

_

Sayori smiles while I hand her my poem. I rewrote it a little bit during class today because of the conversation I had with Sayori earlier. Looking around the room, I see that Yuri and Natsuki are sharing. I'm glad that they're getting along better. Monika is simply watching everyone.

Sayori's eyes widen, and her face gets a little red. "Anon... Is this...?" She looks up at me with glistening eyes and an unsteady smile.

I smile, and ask, "How do you like it, Sayori?"

She looks back down and rereads the poem.

_

 ** _Sunshine's Warmth_**

 _When I look outside, I see the sun, and feel it's warmth against my face._

 _I see my boring, dull world reflect the beauty in different ways._

 _I see an expression of happiness where the light shines, every place._

 _I'm attracted, being pulled closer, by a lasso of the sun's rays._

 _I see the light fade, and the night becomes cold._

 _The monotony of dark sky replaces the beauty of day._

 _There is no longer meaning in any actions, however bold._

 _I can't find the sun's beauty in any place, taken all away._

 _As the sun rises, I will heartily accept the pull of this ray._

 _I can feel the warmth penetrate and steady my heart, body, and mind._

 _The sun fears that I'll suffer burns, and she tries to push me away._

 _The sun doesn't want me to hurt, for she is, to a fault, kind._

 _I tell the sun my love isn't feign,_

 _This happiness is truly worth any pain._

_

Sayori rubs her eyes on her sleeve, and hands the poem back to me. She looks up at me, smiling a more genuine smile than before.

"It's really beautiful," Sayori replies. "I may like this one even better than yesterday's! I really keep underestimating you, don't I?"

I rub the back of my neck. "I guess you want to keep this one too, then?" I prod with a chuckle.

"If it's alright..."

"I wrote it for you, anyway." I feel my face get hot. I really didn't mean to say that, but it slipped out.

Sayori's face is bright red. "I wrote mine for you, too," she says quietly, handing me her poem.

Blushing still, I look at what she wrote.

_

 ** _My Boat_**

 _I've always ridden on the side of my boat._

 _It always pains me to part, but I know that we'll return._

 _On my own, I could never float._

 _My boat is always with me, because I can never learn._

 _I drop down, an anchor falling under the crushing depths of the sea._

 _Apart from my boat, I can feel the suffocation of my thoughts._

 _My ears crinkle under the weight of the water, I can't breathe._

 _But I'm always hopeful when I feel my chain pull me up from the rocks._

 _As I ride against the hull of my boat, I know that pain was worth it._

 _To be free of that pain is a great relief, but to be with him is greater._

 _The one who keeps me above those crushing depth, that person,_

 _Is my boat, my salvation, my love, my savior._

_

"Did you say that you wrote this for me?" I ask Sayori.

She simply nods in response.

I read through the poem again. I guess I'm supposed to be the boat... Is this really what it's like for Sayori? I hand her back her poem.

"I'm going to want to keep yours too, Sayori. I really appreciate it." I look at her for a moment. "We're talking about this later, right?"

"Yeah, we are," she says with a thoughtful face.

I place my hand on her shoulder. "Now, let's go share poems with the others, alright?"

"Right," she says, composing herself. She shows me a smile and turns toward Monika. I turn as well, and walk toward Natsuki.

Natsuki reads the poem twice, and hands it back. "It's nice, I guess," she says. "Your poems keep getting more like Sayori's."

"You think so?" I _did_ write it with Sayori in mind, but I don't think our styles are the same.

"Yeah, it's almost like you like her or something." She laughs and hits me in the arm. "It's not really my style, but it still turned out well."

"Whatever. Why don't I see yours, then?"

She hands me her poem. It's about the beach. I laugh a little, because it's actually more metaphorical than her poems usually are. It's closer to Yuri's style. I hand it back.

"Yeah," she starts, taking the poem. "I felt like I kept writing about negative things, so I wanted to write something with a more positive message. Besides, the beach is awesome! It's kinda hard to write anything negative about the beach."

"So, you decided to write about the beach, then came up with the message later?" I ask, somewhat teasingly.

"Well, yesterday, Yuri and I realized that we wrote about the same thing, so she wanted to do it again. She probably wants to come up with something really fancy and shove it in my face. I mean, I don't really care about that, so I just agreed anyways. I guess mine turned out a little metaphorical too, but that's fine to do every now and then. It was good practice, anyway. Whatever."

Natsuki crosses her arms and leaves without saying anything else, so I move on to Yuri next.

Yuri looks over the poem for a while before handing it back. "It turned out nice, Anon. I really liked the message. I can see the use of more metaphors, too, which makes me happy to see."

"Thanks Yuri, I appreciate your feedback."

"That's not all," Yuri continues. "Your style is also getting more similar to Sayori's."

"Natsuki said the same thing. I really don't see what you guys mean."

Yuri laughs. "Well, I'm glad that you've improved your writing like this in such a short time. Would you like to read mine?"

"Sure," I say, taking her poem.

Sure enough, it's about the beach. It's a little more somber in tone compared to Natsuki's, but it's not overall negative (I think). I return her poem.

"I know that the beach is an inane thing to write about," Yuri begins defensively, "but I tried my best to take a metaphorical approach to it."

"Yeah, Natsuki already told me about the common theme between your poems."

"She did? She didn't say anything weird, did she?"

I shake my head.

"Good. After we wrote about the same thing yesterday, she wanted to do it again. I suppose she just wants to compare our styles or something. B-But, it was her idea, anyway."

I decide not to say that Natsuki said it was Yuri's idea.

Yuri continues, "Knowing her, I guess she could be trying to show off. Though, I guess it's nice to write about something simple from time to time. It's refreshing, and it's good to calm the mind every once in a while."

"I can see that, definitely. Thanks for sharing."

"Thank you."

We go our separate ways, and I approach Monika.

"Hi, Anon!" she greets, jovially. "Have you given any thought to what you'd like to perform at the festival?"

Honestly, I almost forgot about the festival because of whateveris happening with Sayori. "No, I haven't decided yet."

"No worries! I'm sure whatever you do will be fine, so make sure to let me know by Sunday!" She smiles radiantly. "Now, let's see today's poem."

"Sure," I say, handing her the poem I'm holding.

She looks it over for a moment and starts laughing. "You know, it's a little funny."

"How so?"

"I don't mean the poem. I just think it's funny that your poems and Sayori's have been getting more and more similar every day. I'm surprised that you're so in sync with her. Then again, you two have been spending a lot of time together, haven't you?" She raises one eyebrow as she asks.

"Ah, I guess so." I start coming up with excuses as to why I've spent my time with her, specifically. "Even though we grew up as best friends, we haven't gotten to hang out a lot since around when high school started. I guess we've been able to see each other more since I joined the club, though."

Monika smiles. "Ah, I see, I see. I can see that it's affecting your poems, in any case. Here's mine." I take Monika's poem.

_

 ** _The Lady to Know Everything_**

 _Tales tell of a lady who wanders this earth,_

 _The lady to know everything._

 _A beautiful lady, who seeks every answer,_

 _All meaning,_

 _All purpose,_

 _And all that was ever sought._

 _And here I am,_

 _a feather,_

 _Flying adrift the current of wind._

 _Day after day, I search._

 _I search with little hope, knowing legends may not exist._

 _But when all else has failed me,_

 _And all others have turned away,_

 _The legend is all that remains,_

 _The last star twinkling brightly against the twilit sky._

 _Until one day, the wind ceases to blow._

 _I fall_

 _And I fall and I fall, and I fall even more._

 _Gentle as a feather._

 _A dry quill, near expressionless._

 _But a hand reaches out, and snatches me between the thumb and forefinger._

 _A hand of a beautiful lady._

 _I find no end to her gaze._

 _The lady to know everything sees what I'm thinking._

 _Before I speak, she responds in a tired voice:_

 _'I will find every answer._

 _All meaning._

 _All purpose._

 _And when I do, I will end my search._

 _There will be no more purpose._

 _And your legend will no longer exist._ '

 _And with a breath, she blows me back afloat, and I catch a gust of wind._

_

"You know," Monika says, "I think that learning and looking for answers are kinda what give life its meaning. Not to get too philosophical, but it was on my mind, so I wrote about it."

"I see," I say, trying to hide the fact that I have no idea what she means.

"In a way, it's kinda paradoxical. If we had all the answers, wouldn't life start to lose its meaning?"

"I haven't noticed until now, but everyone in the club tends to write about sad things rather than happy things."

Monika chuckles. "Are you surprised? If everything was alright, we wouldn't have much to write about, would we? Humans aren't just one-dimentional creatures. you get it, right?"

"Yeah. I get what you mean."

"Anyway, here's Monika's writing tip of the day! Are you ever scared of sharing your writing with others? It can be really disheartening to get a lukewarm response to something that you put so much into! But if you find other people that like writing, then it'll become a lot easier. Because, instead of just saying that a poem is good or bad, they can focus on what went into it, or the things you can work on. It's much more encouraging that way, and it'll help you to keep improving. It's just like what we do in the literature club! Thats my advice for today! Thanks for listening~"

Monika waits for the rest of the club to finish sharing before calling out: "Okay, everyone! We're all done sharing poems, right? Let's start figuring out the rest of the festival preparations. We need to figure out what we're all doing this weekend."

Natsuki jumps in, saying, "I already know what I'm doing!"

"Yep!" Monika chirps. "You'll be on cupcake duty. We'll need a lot of them though, and in different flavors. Can you handle all of that?"

"Of course I can," Natsuki says, smirking.

"Great! As for you, Yuri... Sayori had the idea that you could handle decorations. You know, the atmosphere and all that."

At first,Yuri looks surprised. This then changes to worry. After a couple seconds, it changes to determination. She stares intently at the desk she's sitting in.

"I... Love atmosphere!" Yuri begins nodding her head, still looking down at her desk.

"Your mind is already racing, I see," I say.

"Alright, that's settled," Monika says, delighted. "Sayori and I are going to be designing and printing pamphlets for the event. We'll need to know the poems you'll perform by Sunday, because they'll be labeled on the pamphlets. Now," Monika says, turning her gaze towards me. "I wonder what you'll do, Anon?"

"Ah," I say, "the one that's truly worthless!"

"Hey, don't say that, Anon," Sayori says, looking at me with disappointment. "I'm sure you can contribute!"

"Actually," Monika suggests, "Yuri and Natsuki each have some pretty heavy tasks to handle. I'm sure it'd go a long way for you to lend either one your help. Sayori and I would appreciate some help too, I'm sure."

Is Monika suggesting that I see one of my fellow club members over the weekend? How'll they react to that suggestion?

Sayori is is the first to speak up. "As vice president of this club, I cannot allow you to be selfish like that, Monika! We already have the easiest task, so Yuri and Natsuki would benefit from Anon's help more!"

Of course, I would rather spend time with the two of them, but Sayori is right.

"Ah," says Yuri. "I suppose I wouldn't mind a bit of help."

"Same here," says Natsuki. "Even if you don't know how to cook, there's always work I could need help with. Besides, if Monika will make you do it, and you won't be sitting on your butt anyways..." Natsuki begins mumbling excuses.

"If I recall," Yuri says to Natsuki, "you said you want to handle the cooking on your own. Anon may not like being around you if you make him out to be a nuisance. So, he may be better suited for helping me with the decorations."

"Hey, I never said that!" Natsuki raises her voice. "Besides, how hard can it be to make some decorations anyway?"

"What are you saying? It'll be very meticulous work!"

"And baking isn't?"

Sayori jumps between the two before they get too aggressive. "Calm down, guys! I'm sure you both have a lot of work to do, but I think it's up to Anon."

Natsuki and Yuri both look at me. I'm scared that the one I don't choose will end up hating me or something, so I try to think of the most logical way to solve this.

"Well," I say, "I know that cooking can be really hard to get right. I'm sure it'll be really tough with the amount that we'll need, too. But, depending on how many decorations Yuri will get, I really don't know."

I suddenly realize that I put Yuri on the spot to sell me her need of help. I feel really bad about it, but I really want to go where I'll be the most help.

"Well," Yuri starts, "I was thinking of putting up construction paper to block the windows, putting candles around to light the room, putting out a couple essential oil diffusers, writing different characters on about a hundred peices of oragami paper to hang up, and painting a large banner with water color to attract people to visit."

No one says anything for a few seconds. I look over and see Natsuki pouting.

"All right," Natsuki says, looking away, "I don't think I need him any more than you do."

"All right," I say. "I'll be helping you out then, Yuri.

After Monika disbands the club, Yuri and I exchange contact information.

"So, I'll be coming to your house on Sunday?" I ask, just to confirm.

"Actually," Yuri says, "I was wondering if we could work at your house."

"Oh, I don't think that's an issue. I just kinda assumed that I'd be going to yours, because I'm the one helping you."

"Sorry, I don't think that's a good idea."

I wave off her concern. "Don't worry about it." I walk over to Sayori, who is packing up her things. "You ready to go?"

"Yep!" she says with a smile.

_

 _(Note: The next chapter will have all the good stuff with Sayori. I'm also debating having Sayori and MC hang out most of Saturday, so I think we can have some fun with this. I may even extend this story beyond the festival, who knows?)_


	4. Friday, After the Club

_(Note: I am ignoring any parents that either Sayori or MC may have. Not because I want to ignore any details, but because they didn't really exist in the game._ _Let's assume they're all out of town or something.)_

 ** _I do_** ** _not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed_** ** _in this story_**

_

As Sayori and I leave the clubroom, I notice that she's more talkative than yesterday.

"So, I wonder how Natsuki's cupcakes will turn out," Sayori says as we walk off of the school grounds. "She'll probably give em super cute frosting decorations!"

"Yeah," I agree, "she seems pretty skilled at making cupcakes, judging by the ones from Tuesday."

"Ooh, and Yuri seemed to have a lot planned, too! I guess you'll have your hands full Sunday, huh?"

"Yeah," I respond, unable to sound too enthusiastic.

"Hey, what's wrong? Aren't you excited to spend time with Yuri?"

"Sure, but..." I pause, in thought. Starting to laugh, I say, "I'd ask you to come over and help too, but you're meeting with Monika, right?"

"Actually, I'm not meeting with her, I'm just helping her design the pamphlets online. Plus, it probably won't take long to finish the design, so I will have some spare time..." Sayori looks at me, clearly thinking deeply. "Are you sure I wouldn't be getting in the way if I came?"

"Huh?" I look at Sayori questioningly. "Get in the way of what?"

"N-Nothing! Nevermind!" Sayori shouts, waving her arms toward me. Her face seems a little red.

Sayori and I come up to the crosswalk before our street, and I press the button to give us the walking signal. Neither of us talk again for some time, until I remember something.

"Hey Sayori, weren't we supposed to give each other our poems?"

Sayori's eyes widen. "Ah! I almost forgot!"

The light signals us to go, so Sayori and I each grab our poems from our bags as we walk. After we exchange poems, I carefully place her's in by bag, and see her do the same.

"Thanks," I say to her.

"I should be the one thanking you. I totally forgot!" She gives me an embarrassed smile.

Looking at Sayori's face, I feel my stomach flutter, and I can't help but laugh a little. I'm surprised at myself that it took me this long to realize how different I feel towards her than other people. I make a mental note that I have to tell her how I feel later. We approach her house.

"Well, I guess I'll see you at the festival," Sayori says.

"You're forgetting something," I say, somewhat teasingly.

"Oh yeah, I'll see you Sunday!"

As Sayori turns toward her house, I say again, "You're forgetting something else." She turns around, not seeming to remember her promise. "You said that you'd tell me what's wrong."

Sayori's eyes widen as she remembers what she said to me earlier. "Oh, yeah," she says quietly, looking down with an upset face. After a couple seconds, she says, "Come inside."

I follow Sayori inside, and set my stuff down at the door. She motions for me to follow her upstairs and leads me to her bedroom, where she sets her bag down. She sits down on her bed and pats the spot next to her, apparently wanting me to sit next to her. I do so.

Sayori twiddles her thumbs, probably thinking about how to say it.

Since Sayori doesn't want to, I start, "Sayori, I need you to tell me what's wrong. I know you probably don't want me to worry, and that's why you tried to hide this, but that's what I'm here for." I place my hand on Sayori's shoulder. "I won't be able to stop worrying about it until you tell me now, anyways."

"It... It was so much easier before," Sayori says. "When you weren't worried about me, this was so mush easier. I'm pretty pathetic, huh? I can't even stop myself from hurting _you_ , Anon."

"Sayori," I say, tightening my grip on her shoulder, "I care about you. That doesn't mean that you're a burden to me, or that you're hurting me. It means that I'm happy when I'm with you, and when I can help you. I mean it. Nothing would make me happier than being able to help you."

Sayori nods her head, still looking away from me. "The thing is," she says, taking a deep breath. "I've had pretty bad depression my entire life."

The weight of Sayori's words hits me harder than I thought it would. _Depression?_ Sayori was always a little ball of sunshine until today. Has she really been hiding this pain from me her whole life? Why? How bad is her depression? These thoughts and a million more swarm in my head, but Sayori continues before I can organize myself.

"Why do you think I'm late to school every day? It's because, most days, I can't even find a reason to get out of bed. What point is there for me to try when I fully know how worthless I am? Why go to school? Why eat? Why make friends? Why make people put their energy and caring to waste by having them spend any of it on me?"

Sayori's words strike me again. She thinks that she's worthless? A waste? As I look at her, I find myself a little angry that she feels this way.

"That's what it feels like. So, I don't want anyone to care about me. I just want to make everyone else happy without having them focus on me."

I turn Sayori's body towards me, and put both of my hands on her shoulders. "You've had this your whole life?"

Sayori nods her head, diverting her gaze. "It got worse when high school started, though."

"I understand why you never told me," I say, once again tightening my grip on her shoulders. "But, if I'd known earlier, then I'd have done my best to spend time with you and support you. That's why I'm your friend."

"That's not it, Anon. Why do you think that I didn't tell you? Because if I did, then you would have to spend your time caring about me instead of doing important things. I-"

I move my hands from Sayori's shoulders to her back and pull her into an embrace.

"Sayori," I say, "I appreciate the thought, but you don't get to decide what's important to me. The fact that I would spend my time with you just shows how important you are to me. I wouldn't trade you for anything."

Sayori doesn't return my hug. "I never wanted to be cared about. That's why I wanted you to join the literature club. I wanted to make all of you happy together. But then, I discovered something else. It hurt me so much when I saw you getting along with the other girls. It felt like a spear going through my heart."

Sayori lightly places her arms around me and cries.

"I'm s-scared... Ano-on..." Sayori is having trouble speaking between her sobs. "Everything l-leads to p-p-pain... Why d-does the world... w-want to t-torture me?"

"I don't know, Sayori. I can't understand what you're feeling." I tighten my embrace. "But I'll do whatever it takes to help you feel happy."

Sayori lets me go, so I let go, too.

"There's nothing," she says, drying her eyes. "The only thing that could have made me feel better was for things to be like they always were. When you weren't worried. But I was selfish. I made you join the club because I was selfish, but it hurt my heart so much. And now, I was too weak too hide it from you, and I hurt you too. I'm weak and selfish. That's all. Now you know what a horrible person I am."

"Horrible person?" I almost can't grasp that Sayori thinks that way. "Sayori, the entire time I've known you, you've done nothing but try to make my life better. You try to make everyone happy, despite your pain. You aren't a horrible person. You're the best person I've ever met. And I'm really happy that you convinced me to join the club. I'm so happy whenever I'm there, and that's because of you. You do so much for me and the other members, too. Don't get me wrong, I like the other girls, but you're more than that."

Sayori looks into my eyes. I hadn't exactly planned on telling her yet, or under these circumstances, but Sayori needs me now more than ever.

"I should have realized this sooner. I don't have many good friends, let alone _girl_ ones, so maybe that's why I hadn't realized until now, but... Spending time with the other girls, and spending time with you every day, has made me realize that, no matter how much I get to know them, or how long I know them, I'll never be able to feel the same way about any of them as I do about you. That's because..."

I take a deep breath. Sayori's face is covered in red streaks still, but her eyes are looking at me expectantly. I take both of Sayori's hands in my own, and look into her eyes.

"You are the most important person to me. I love you, Sayori."

Sayori's eyes widen, and her cheeks get a little red. "Eh?"

I squeeze her hands. "Those are my true feelings. I didn't really plan on telling you like this, but- Ah!"

Sayori throws her arms around me, squeezing tightly. After a moment of shock, and then thought, I place my arns around her in return.

"I love you too, Anon," Sayori pants. "I love you so much. I want to be with you forever."

"Me, too. You'll never have to let me go again."

We stand there, next to her bed, in this embrace for a while. I feel Sayori's grip on me weaken a bit.

"W-What is this..?" Sayori is trembling.

"Sayori? What's wrong?"

"I'm... supposed to be happy right now. I always thought that this would be the happiest moment for me. But why? Why aren't the rainclouds gone? They're barely going away at all, Anon."

"That's okay, Sayori," I say, rubbing my hand up and down her back. "It might take a long time for things to get better, but I'll be there the whole way. Even though I know you're in pain, I'm happier to be with you now."

"Okay... I trust you."

Sayori and I let each other go. I know that she's hurting, and it's probably selfish of me to ask, but...

"Do you want to spend the rest of today at my house?"

"What? I-I don't know..."

"C'mon, it'll be like old times. We can hang out, eat dinner, watch a movie. You could spend the night, too."

Sayori looks flustered. After a moment, she blushes and laughs, "Aren't we moving a little fast?"

I feel my face become a deep red. "You know I have a guest room!"

Sayori laughs more. "But why are you inviting me to spend the night, anyway?"

"You said you wanted things to go back to the way they used to be. We used to have sleepovers all the time when we were kids, right?"

"Yeah," she says, smiling at the memory.

"Besides, I'm worried about you. You said it hurt for people to care about you, but I'd be a lot more at ease if you slept over."

"Oh," Sayori sighs. "I really can't refuse, then."

I put my hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "Grab a change of clothes and anything else you need. I'll wait downstairs."

Sayori gives me a nod and I turn and leave her room.

_

 _(Note:_ _YES they are having a sleepover! I want some input on the details for next chapter, because I need to fill it out with activities that they'd do._ _I have some ideas, but I need more! And yes, by combining the depression scene and the confession, I removed parts from each and reordered things a bit. I wanted it to be more of MC confessing than Sayori, which worked out!)_


	5. Friday Night

_(Note: Yes, the Teriyaki Shrimp recipe is real)_

 ** _I do_** ** _not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

I look back at Sayori as she locks her front door. She's changed into a pink long sleeve shirt and jean shorts, still with her red bow still in her hair. She has a small duffel bag over her shoulder, which has pajamas, a change of clothes for tomorrow, and some toiletries. Sayori puts her keys in her pocket and spins around to start toward her front gate.

"You ready?" I ask with a smile.

"Yep," she says, closing the gate behind her.

I put my arm around her as we start toward my home. "We're gonna have so much fun today!"

Sayori laughs, "The day is already mostly over."

She's right, of course. Between the literature club and the time we spent at Sayori's house, it's already almost 5 PM.

"We still have time for fun, though!" I say, squeezing her a little bit.

I look at her face, and see a blush creeping across her cheeks. I smile at this, but I'm surprised when she leans her head against me.

" _Hmm,_ " Sayori exhales as if she were laying on the couch after a stressful day. That's probably exactly what she'll do at my house, now that I think about it.

We walk the rest of the way like that until we get to my door, where I let her go from my arm so I can unlock the door.

"I'm going to change into something more casual," I say to Sayori as I open the door. "Just bring your stuff to the guest bedroom."

"Right," she says with a determined look, as if she were given an important mission.

After I finish changing, I walk out into the main living room, where, as I predicted, Sayori is sprawled out on the couch.

"So, what do you want to do?" Sayori asks without looking up at me.

"We could watch TV or play a game," I suggest. "All I really have planned is eating and watching a movie later, but I really don't know what to do in between."

"Ooh, let's play a game!" Sayori springs herself up into a sitting position.

"What kind of game? I have board games, video games, card games..." Not that I ever play any of them other than video games.

"What board games do you have, Anon?"

I rummage through the drawer with the board games. "We have... Life, Sorry, Monopoly... Something called Boggle? There's Scrabble, too."

Sayori enthusiastically exclaims, "Scrabble! In the name of literature!"

I laugh. "Alright, lets get this set up."

I clear off the coffee table and set up a chair for myself across from Sayori on the couch. We set up the board and start pulling the letters from the bag.

"Wow, it's been a while since I played this," I say. "We have to sit on the same side of the board."

Sayori scoots over as I sit next to her on the couch, and I'm careful to position my letter tiles in a way that Sayori can't see.

"I'll go first!" Sayori says triumphantly.

She sets down her letters across the middle. 'Quail'. I'm dumbfounded. That's a high scoring word, thanks to the Q and U, plus the triple score and double letter score also helped her early lead.

"Why, you little!" I jokingly say with determination. "It'll take more than that to best me!"

"Try and win, then!" Sayori has a competitive fire in her eyes.

The next half hour or so is an intense battle of wits, and it comes down to the last few moves. I have a Y among my letters, which is a potential high scorer, but I haven't found a good place for it yet. That's when Sayori makes her game-ending mistake. At the edge of the board, the word 'end' looks to her like a great opportunity to turn into 'friend'. It isn't a high scoring word, but it would normally be a harmless move for her to make. However, just 3 spaces above the F, there is a triple word score, and I have a B, O, and Y.

"You lose, Sayori!" I say with an evil sounding voice.

"W-What?" Sayori looks on in horror as I claim a triple scored 'Boyfriend', and there's nothing she can do to stop it.

As I add the word to my scoring list, I notice Sayori start laughing. I look up, and her face looks as red as her ribbon. Whether that's from the laughter, I don't know.

"What's so funny?" I say, oblivious to whatever she's laughing at.

"You turned a friend to a boyfriend, Anon!"

I look at the word and suddenly realize the parallels to today. "Sayori, I swear it was a coincidence!"

Sayori laughs even harder at my excuse and puts her arms around me. "I don't mind."

"Hey, go on and make your last moves! We need to finish and then we can make dinner."

"What about dinner?!" Sayori jumps up.

"We'll prepare it after we finish the game."

"I forfeit! You win! Let's eat!" Sayori is standing with her hands raised above her head.

I laugh, "At least help me put the game away."

"Fine, I'll help."

We angle the board and slide all of the letters into the bag, and fold it up. We put away the board, bag, and stands and slide the box in with the other board games. I look at the clock, which says it's 5:40 PM.

"Alright, Sayori!" I exclaim. "It's time to make dinner!"

Sayori claps her hands excitedly and jumps up and down. "What'll we have?"

Every now and then I go online to see what kind of homemade meals I could make. Not that cooking is a pastime for me, but it's really satisfying when you can make something that tastes good. It just so happens that I was prepared to make something either tonight or tomorrow night...

"Teriyaki shrimp!"

Sayori's eyes glow. "I love shrimp _and_ teriyaki!"

I point my finger at Sayori. "And _you're_ gonna make it!"

"Eh?" Sayori suddenly looks hopeless. "But I can't cook and I don't know how to make that and the last time I tried cooking anything I almost burned my house down and-"

I put my hand on Sayori's shoulder. "Jeez, calm down, Sayori! I'll be helping, don't worry. Plus, think of this as a lesson on how to _not_ start a kitchen fire." I start laughing.

Sayori still looks worried, but she nods and says, "Okay."

I grab my laptop and pull up the recipe, and start gathering the ingredients. After the cooking utensils and ingredients are assembled, I motion Sayori over to the laptop.

"Your turn, Sayori."

Sayori looks over the recipe and says, "This actually doesn't seem too hard..."

"I believe you can do it!" I refrain from saying it's one of the easiest dishes I've found online.

Sayori tells me to mince 2 cloves of garlic, while she starts by measuring out a cup of water. She then measures a half cup of soy sauce and a third cup of honey. She then measures a Tablespoon of sesame oil, 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds, and a half teaspoon of ginger. She whisks it all together in the skillet, and turns the heat up to medium-high. She mixes a tablespoon of cornstarch into 3 tablespoons of cold water, before pouring that into the skillet as well. She mixes it (which I need to help with because she almost spills) and then turns the heat down to medium-low before pouring in the shrimp. I put the "microwaveable steamed rice" into the microwave as Sayori stirs the shrimp around.

"See, that wasn't too bad," I say cheerfully.

"I hope it's good," Sayori says, doubtful. "I'm pretty sure I followed the recipe, but I don't know..."

"It all looks good from where I'm standing. We'll just have to wait until we eat."

The microwave dings, and I pour some rice into each of 2 bowls. Sayori spoons about an equal amount of shrimp into each as well. There is a little leftover rice, but we've only served about half of the 2 pounds of shrimp. As we sit down to eat, the aroma reaches my nose.

"Oh, this smells amazing," I say, patting Sayori on the shoulder. "I'm really proud of you!"

"Yeah, I didn't burn anything!" Sayori chirps. "But... I hope it tastes as good as it smells."

"I'm sure it will."

"Why are you so confident in that?" Sayori looks at me like she's studying my face.

"I heard that food tastes better when it's made by the person you love."

Sayori blushes at this and moves her eyes back to her food. I feel my face is flushed as well.

"Anyway, let's eat!" I say, trying to break the awkwardness caused by my comment.

"Yeah!" Sayori says enthusiastically.

We each take our bites in unison, and I feel my eyes widen. I look at Sayori, who is looking at her food unblinkingly.

"This is so good!" I exclaim. "I can hardly believe you made this!"

Sayori gives me a light jab, in a Natsuki-esque fashion. "That's mean! But... I really can't believe I made this either."

"See? I told you you could do it!" I give her a one-armed hug. "Thanks for cooking dinner!"

Sayori smiles. "Anything for you, Anon."

We finish up dinner, and clean up our bowls. I'm surprised that Sayori doesn't go back for seconds, but that just means that there's more for leftovers. The clock says that it's 6:30 PM.

"What video games do you have?" Sayori looks at me with a smile.

"Oh, I have a few. They're in my room."

We head to my bedroom, which is a little bit cleaner than usual, luckily. Sayori picks a racing game out, and we sit on my bed to play. Sayori is, unsurprisingly, not very good.

"Ugh!" she grunts after the third race. "Why are you so good at this!"

"I'm really not," I say, indirectly teasing her.

"Let's play this one!" Sayori yells, picking up another game

This continues through 4 more games before Sayori can finally beat me at an old strategy game. I wasn't going easy on her, either, I had just forgotten how to play.

"Finally!" she gasps as she lays back on my bed. "I win!"

I take out my phone to check the time, which is 8:25 PM.

"Alright Sayori, get up."

"Let me enjoy victory a little bit more!" She starts rolling around in my bed.

"Let's put our pajamas and brush our teeth, come on."

"Eh?" Sayori says, sitting up. "What time is it?"

"Calm down, it's not that late. I just thought you might want to be more comfortable while watching the movie."

"Aah! What movie?!"

"Whatever's new on Netflix, I guess." I shrug.

Sayori jumps up. "I'll change in the guest room and be right back!"

"Just knock before you come in, because I'll be changing too!" I call out as she leaves.

I don't normally wear any pajama pants when I sleep, but I still keep some just in case it's cold or I have company over (which I do). I slip into a fresh plain t-shirt and dark loose pajama pants. As I do, Sayori knocks on my door repeatedly.

"Open up! I wanna watch a movie!"

"We still need to brush our teeth Sayori," I say, opening the door.

I'm greeted by Sayori wearing a thin white buttoned sleep shirt and short red pajama pants. Like, _really_ short. I do my best not to look too distracted by her legs. What catches me more off guard, honestly, is the lack of a red bow in her hair.

"Can't we brush our teeth after the movie?" she pleads, pouting.

"Would you rather go right to bed after the movie, or spend 2 minutes in the bathroom scrubbing your teeth?"

"Ugh, fine!" Sayori throws her arms up as she turns around.

She grabs her toothbrush and toothpaste from her bag and we both brush our teeth. After we finish up everything, we sit on my bed and turn the Smart TV to Netflix. It looks like the most recent movie is a decently rated comedy, so we decide to watch that. Sayori leans her head against my shoulder as I play the movie, and I put my arm around her.

The movie mostly consists of bad puns, but there are a few parts that make us laugh. The actors at least did their best with the script, as far as I can tell. About halfway through the movie, Sayori lays down on my bed, though she still laughs every once in a while. However, by the end of the movie, I look down and see her asleep. Part of me wants to make her move to the guest room so I can sleep in my bed, but I don't want to wake her up. She looks so peaceful and content in her sleep. Not that I'd have an issue sleeping next to her, but she probably wouldn't care for the idea, at least not yet. Besides, I'm still worried about her, so I'll probably sleep better if I'm in the same room as her.

I sigh, and get up to turn off the light. I tuck Sayori under the blanket, then lay down on the floor, with my back against the side of my bed so I can get as comfortable as I can. It's not very comfortable anyway. After a long time, I can finally feel myself start drifting off to sleep. That is, until I'm interrupted by Sayori.

"A-Anon?"

"Yeah Sayori?"

"Did I fall asleep during the movie?"

"Yeah, but I think you got mostly through it."

"... I should probably go to my own bed so you don't have to sleep on the ground."

I put my hand on her side as she tries to get up. "No, I'd rather sleep in the same room as you."

"Why?"

"I'm still worried about you. Even though it's in the same building, I'll probably get less sleep if you're in the other room."

"... Then at least let me sleep on the floor."

"Nonsense, you're a guest in my home! You're sleeping in the bed."

"But you're on the floor!"

"I don't mind, really."

There's a long silence before Sayori speaks up again.

"I wouldn't mind if... you... you know..." Sayori lifts the blanket up a little. "You could sleep with me."

I feel my face getting hot, and I can see a blush on Sayori too, despite the limited moonlight coming through the window.

"Are you sure?"

Sayori just nods in return. So, I get up, and slide under my blanket next to Sayori. I make sure there is some space between us, and face away from her. Despite that space, I feel Sayori inch closer to me.

"... Um, Anon?"

"Yeah?" I respond, turning to face Sayori in the bed.

Sayori's eyes show a small glint from the moonlight entering the room.

"Th-Thank you."

"For what?"

I see more shine from Sayori's eyes as they start to fill with tears. She grips the front of my shirt in her hands.

"For everything," she barely gets out as she starts crying.

As if by instinct, I wrap my arms around Sayori and pull her into me, now making her cry into my shoulder.

She still tries to speak through her sobs, "Th-Th-Thank you f-for bei-ing with m-me. Thank y-you for supp-pporting me. Thank you f-for caring abo-about m-me. I'm... I..." She looses her thought.

"It's alright, Sayori," I say, squeezing her gently. "Take as much time as you need."

She lays in my arms for about 3 more minutes before she stops crying. I'm close to crying, myself, just from seeing her like this, but I know I need to be strong for her. She slowly lets go of my shirt and puts her arms around me in return of mine.

"I'm sorry I'm so weak," she says with a light heave.

"You're not weak, Sayori. Everyone needs to cry, sometimes." I tighten my embrace, and she does so as well in return.

"I love you so much, Anon."

"I love you too Sayori. Goodnight."

"Mhmm," Sayori mumbles from deep in my shoulder.

Sayori's warmth wraps around me under the blanket, and I've never felt more comfortable in my life. I feel my mouth turn into an involuntary smile as I drift off to sleep, Sayori in my embrace.

_

 _(Note: Sorry if you were expecting anything else in the bed, but this is a wholesome story! I'm really glad with the feedback I've gotten, especially since writing this is pretty much just to cope with Doki Doki Rainclouds, which is a fantastic mod by the way. Glad you guys are enjoying this, and I hope I won't disappoint in the future!)_


	6. Saturday Morning

**_I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

I wake up to see a blindingly bright light coming through my window. As I try to raise my hand to block the light, I notice that something is weighing it down. Looking away from my window, I see Sayori sleeping on my arm. I slowly remember the events of yesterday, and feel myself smile. With my free hand, I brush her hair mostly out of her face. The next thing I notice is that my shoulder is still damp from Sayori's tears. I frown. Either she cried more than I realized, or she woke up and cried again in the middle of the night.

' _Can't I help her at all?'_ is the only thought in my head.

Even after such a great day yesterday, she still isn't really happy. I feel so useless. How can't I even help my best friend? I guess, more accurately, my girlfriend now. I really don't know anything about her condition. Maybe I can't really help her, maybe she needs to see a professional...

"Uhn... Anon..." Sayori stirs in her sleep a little bit.

 _'Is she... dreaming about me?'_

Soon, though, Sayori starts getting worked up. "Anon... No... Anon!"

I shake her awake as she starts squirming. "Sayori, wake up! It's just a dream."

Sayori's eyes dart open and she flinches a little away from me. "A-Anon? What are you..." She stops herself and looks around the room. "What am I doing in your bedroom?"

I sigh in slight relief. "You fell asleep during the movie, remember?"

Sayori's face concentrates for a few seconds before her eyes open up again. "Oh, yeah. Sorry about that," she says, rubbing her neck with a chuckle.

"Sorry about what?"

"Being so much trouble. You found a movie, which I couldn't even bother to watch all the way, and then I made you lay down on the floor for a little bit." Sayori's face drops a little bit.

"Sayori, when will you stop being so unrealistically hard on yourself?" I ask, laying my head back down on the pillow.

"What do you mean?"

"That movie really wasn't that good. Besides, it was my choice to sleep on the floor, not yours. In the end though, I think that might have been the best night of my life!"

"Really? Were you happy?"

"Of course I was. You're such a fun person to be around, really." I yawn and stretch a little to wake myself up. "Plus, I think that was the best night of sleep I've gotten in weeks. How did you sleep?"

"A-Alright, I guess." Sayori looks at my blank wall.

"Do you remember what your nightmare was about?"

Sayori looks toward me, confused. "What nightmare?"

"You were in the middle of a nightmare when I woke you up. I'm guessing you don't remember it, then?"

Sayori shakes her head.

I sigh. "You screamed my name."

"Eh? Really?" Sayori puts her hand on her chin, as if trying to remember.

I grab her arm and pull her to lay on the bed next to me.

"Ah!" Sayori squeaks as I pull her into another embrace.

"I guess it doesn't matter. It's just a dream, whatever it was."

"Y-Yeah..." Sayori rests her head on me. "It feels so comforting to be with you. I wanna stay here with you forever."

"Me too," I say, holding her closely against me. "But, we all need to get up sooner or later for breakfast."

Sayori chuckles at this. "I love breakfast!"

I grab my phone from the charger next to my bed to check the time, which is already past 10 AM. We slept in more than I thought. I also have a notification– a text from Yuri.

 _Hey, Anon. I have most of the things we'll need, but I was wondering if you could pick up some things. All I need is oragami paper and some paint tablets. Also some small disposable cups, if you don't have some_.

The text is from over an hour ago, so I quickly type in a _'sure thing'_ before sighing and turning back to Sayori, who is looking at me with a questioning face.

"What took so long over there?" Her face sported a smile, but I could see worry in her eyes.

"Oh, Yuri texted me. I need to pick up some stuff from the store for tomorrow." I give Sayori a small tug on her sleeve. "Now come on, let's make breakfast."

Sayori laughs as she lets herself get dragged out of bed and toward the kitchen.

 _'Maybe I am helping her feel better after all,'_ I think to myself.

Sayori is so effortlessly cute, even when she doesn't mean to be. She smiles as she grips my shirt.

"So, what's for breakfast?" she asks with her signature ear-to-ear smile.

"Eggs, bacon, and toast," I say, reciting the only breakfast items I have other than cereal. "Unless you want to go shopping."

"Ew, no!" Sayori sticks her tongue out. "I'm not going out like this, and I don't want to get ready. Eggs, bacon, and toast sounds great!"

"You mind helping me make it?"

"Of course I'll help, silly!"

I cook the eggs while Sayori handles the bacon and toast. It's a fast operation, and we clean the kitchen up quickly before sitting down to eat. I look at Sayori, who is staring at her plate.

"Hey Sayori, what's on your mind?"

"Ah, nothing! J-Just spacing out, sorry!"

"Sayori, I want you to stop hiding things from me. Come on, you can tell me."

Sayori sighs. "I really appreciate all of this, but... I don't deserve it. I'm just a burden to you. You said you love me, but that was just to make me feel better, I know."

"Sayori, I-"

"Anon, I'm really pathetic. I was so stupid to think that, you know, maybe you meant it. But I've made you waste your time long enough. I should go."

Sayori gets up to leave, but I stand and grab her to stop her from doing so.

"What made you think that? Sayori, I _do_ love you. How much will it take to convince you of that?"

"Stop it, Anon. Please, stop trying to fix me. You can't."

"I _will_ fix this, Sayori. Please don't go, I need you."

Sayori looks at me, confused. "You need me? Why?"

"I don't care about life without you in it."

Sayori starts crying. "What's wrong with me? Earlier I was so happy, but it all suddenly fell apart. Why is this happening?"

I pull Sayori into yet another hug. After a few seconds, I bring up what's been on my mind since we woke up. "... Do you think you need to see a therapist or something?"

"No... I couldn't do that. I don't want to concern other people with my stupid issues."

"Sayori, your issues aren't stupid. Besides, it's their job. I'm sure they'd be glad for more business."

"Maybe..."

"Let's talk about it later. Our food is waiting." I let her go.

"Right," she says, composing herself. "I bet the eggs you made will taste super good."

"That's my Sayori," I say, ruffling her hair. "But I bet your bacon tastes better."

"Well, it _is_ bacon, right?" Sayori laughs.

"But it's _Sayori_ bacon!" I exclaim, echoing what she said when I brought a poem to the club for the first time. I sit down.

"Hey, are you mocking me?" Sayori pouts.

"Just a little bit," I say, smiling, as I shove the first piece of bacon into my mouth.

Sayori chuckles as she also begins eating. She really looks happiest when she's eating. I shouldn't be surprised though. I return to my food, content with what I said to Sayori, but I know I'll need to convince her to get professional help. After finishing the food, we clean our plates.

"So, you want to go with me to get the stuff for Yuri's decorations?" I ask Sayori, hoping to spend some more time with her.

"Sure!" Sayori cheers. "Then, we can eat out for lunch!"

I chuckle, "Is everything about food with you?"

"Well," she says, "It's usually about food or the club... Or you... And this will be about all 3! I'm so excited!" Her cheeks redden a little and she shows a big grin.

"You can shower before me. I'll be in my room if you need anything, so let me know when you're done," I say, heading to my room.

"Okie Dokie!" Sayori goes off to retrieve her change of clothes and toiletries before heading into the shower.

_

 _(Notes: Yes that okie dokie pun was on purpose. In this chapter, I really wanted to show just how unstable Sayori still is. She may be happy sometimes, but she's still dealing with soul-crushing self doubt. I was going to make this part a little longer, but if I did, I know I would have gone a bit too long. Still, I'm a little disappointed in myself for not getting that much done in this one. So anyway, journeys through stores and restaurants await next chapter!)_


	7. Saturday Excursion

**_I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

Sayori eagerly jumps out of the door in front of me and paces in my front yard as I lock my door.

"Ah, I can't wait to go shopping!" Sayori exclaims, close to shouting. "And then eat!"

"Sayori, we're only picking up 3 things," I remind her. "But, I'm also looking forward to lunch."

"Great! Let's hurry up then, so we can get to the food!" Sayori grabs my arm and pulls me in the direction of the shopping center.

Yuri had texted me some more specifics on the colors of the paint tablets and the amount of oragami paper, so I'm prepared.

"Huh," I sigh, walking next to Sayori, "I wonder why we need so much oragami paper."

"Didn't she want to hang them up?" Sayori studies my face, not getting my point.

"Yeah, I remember. But, doesn't this seem like too much?"

"I'm sure she has a plan for all of it, so don't worry."

I study Sayori's face in return, to which she gives a smile. I smile in return, and wrap my arm around her shoulders.

"Ehehe," Sayori chuckles, "What's up with you?"

"I just want to be absolutely clear." I lean in and plant a small kiss on Sayori's cheek, at which she flinches back, blushing. "I love you so much, Sayori. You can't stop it, even if you really want to."

We've stopped walking by now, and Sayori is looking at my face, not blinking. Suddenly, she laughs and puts a quick kiss on my cheek in return.

"Don't worry, I'm over that. I know you wouldn't lie to me, you're too good to do that." Sayori gives me a small tug, and we start walking again. "I'm glad that I can make you happy. That's all that matters to me."

"You're giving me too much credit," I say, rubbing my neck with my free hand. "I would totally lie to you. Not about something this important, though."

"You'd lie to your best friend? You meanie!" Sayori gives me a mock pout.

"Ahaha, well, we're more than that now, aren't we?"

"I guess so. It'll take a while to get used to." Sayori puts her arm around me.

"I'm glad, though."

"Me too."

We walk the rest of the way in a comfortable silence, which we only break once in a while for small talk. It isn't long until we reach the craft store, where we split up to get the shopping done more efficiently. We meet at the cash register, Sayori with the paint tablets, and I with the paper and cups.

"I'll take the bag," Sayori offers as we exit the store.

"No, that's alright. I got it."

"I insist," Sayori says, grabbing the plastic bag. "It's the least I can do, since you're treating me to lunch."

"Alright. Speaking of, where would you like to eat?"

"There's a café that opened a couple weeks ago in this center! I heard it's good," Sayori suggests.

"A good place for a date?"

"Ah, well, I guess," Sayori sputters. "I-I mean, if you... want it to be..."

I grab Sayori's hand and start walking toward the café. "I mean, this isn't a real date I guess, but we should plan one."

"You mean it?"

"Of course I do. I love spending time with you."

"I love spending time with you, too, Anon." Sayori sighs and leans her head on my shoulder, squeezing my hand at the same time.

We walk into the café and seat ourselves, then a waitress walks to our table with the menus.

"I'll be right back to take your orders," she says cordially.

Looking over the menu, I'm surprised at the variety of foods they serve. They have sandwiches, hamburgers, main-course salads, soups, and even more options.

"What do you think you want?" I say to Sayori.

"I don't know, there's so much to choose from!" Her eyes scan the menu over and over again.

"I'll probably stick with a burger and fries. And a cola to drink."

Sayori scans the menu one more time. "I guess I'll have a burger too, but with a salad instead of fries. To drink, I'll have a coffee."

"Sounds good to me," I say, waving at the waitress to let her know we're ready.

The waitress takes our orders, and retreats to the kitchen to relay it.

"So, do you know what you'll perform at the festival?" Sayori brings up.

"Ah, no. I'm probably going to find one online that sounds inspirational or something."

"Aw, but your poems are the best! I think you should perform one of yours."

"Maybe... What are you performing?"

Sayori's eyes light up. "I'm writing something special to perform! I'll make it the best poem ever!"

"Maybe I should write a new one, too. So you have competition, you know."

"Don't say that! I have no chance if we make it a competition!" Sayori starts waving her hands at me.

"What are you talking about? I love your poems. I'm the one who would probably lose."

Sayori pouts at me. "You should have more confidence, Anon. You're better at writing poems than you think."

I'm somewhat taken aback by this, because that's pretty much what I should be saying to her.

"Sayori-"

The waitress sets down our drinks, saying, "Your food will be ready soon."

As the waitress walks away, Sayori grabs the sugar and cream that are on the table. "What were you about to say, Anon?"

"Oh, um... I think that... you need to boost your self-confidence more than I do. Remember... what I said about maybe seeing a therapist?"

Sayori sighs as she stirs her coffee. "Why do we need to talk about this right now? Can't this wait?"

"I guess it can, but it would make me happy if you'd do it. I can't fix you myself."

"Alright. We can do this later, though." Sayori takes a sip of her coffee. "Oh, this is really good!"

I take a sip of my soda. "This is about as good as soda normally is."

Sayori laughs and grabs my hand from across the table. "I promise I'll go, okay? But you don't need to worry about me too much. I'm really happy right now."

"Alright. Let's focus on now, then." I smile and squeeze Sayori's hand.

It's only a few more seconds before the waitress returns with our food. We are each presented with a large burger and our respective sides.

"Ooh," Sayori's eyes widen as she turns the hamburger around, looking for a good place to bite. "These are really big..."

I pick mine up and take a small bite, as Sayori still looks uncertain. "They're really good, too," I say, my mouth a little full.

"Hey, I wanted to bite it first!" Sayori takes a large bite and starts chewing furiously.

"It's not a race, Sayori."

Sayori gasps for air as she swallows the last of her bite. "It is now. I'm going to finish first!"

"Hey, wait for me!" Sayori and I each take another bite.

Sayori finishes her burger first, while I still have a couple bites left to take. But they were big burgers, and I'm starting to feel over stuffed.

"That was sooo good!" Sayori stretches her arms over her head. "Now, on to the salad!"

"How are you still hungry after all that? My stomach feels like it's going to burst," I say, resting my head on the table.

"Oh, well I haven't really eaten recently. Last night was the first real meal I ate in weeks!" Sayori says this nonchalantly as she sticks her fork into the salad. "Besides, if you bought it, I don't want it to go to waste."

"Back up a little." I pull my head up to look at her. "Did you just say you haven't been eating?"

Sayori freezes as she's about to put the fork in her mouth. "Um, yeah... Don't worry about that!" She let's off a nervous chuckle.

"Well, no wonder you're always so hungry. I thought you just liked to eat a lot."

"That'sh what I wanted you to think," Sayori explains with her mouth full.

"Then, that just makes me even happier that I can help." I smile and lay my head back down. "You _can_ get that to go if you're full."

"Oh, yeah," Sayori says, setting down her fork. "Thanks again Anon, that was really nice!"

"I had a really good time, too. We should go out more, maybe have a formal date."

I feel Sayori's hand ruffle my hair a little bit. "I'd like that."

Soon, the waitress comes over with the bill, which I readily pay, and Sayori and I go on our way home. Sayori lightly swings the bag with her leftovers as we walk, and shows a smile as I glance at her from the side.

"Hey Sayori, do you want to stay over at my house for a little bit today?" I ask rather bluntly.

"Eh? You'd let me?" Sayori looks at me with a hopeful expression.

"I'm the one asking you, not the other way around," I say with a small chuckle.

"O-Oh, right! Um, yes, I'd like to," Sayori says with a sheepish grin and a blush.

I move the plastic bag with the supplies to my other hand and grab Sayori's hand with my newly freed one. Sayori looks at me, a blush starting to show on her face. Looking into her eyes, I swear I can see my whole reflection. I can see my own smile hitting her gaze, and her eyes show a contentedness that I haven't seen in her for a long time. It isn't until I instinctively stop at my home that I blink myself from the daze and realize that our faces are almost touching.

"Ah," I say, turning and reaching to open the gate, "We're here."

"Oh, yeah," Sayori glances away to look at my house. "We are."

Sayori and I never let go of each other's hand, and I fumble with my other hand, which is holding both the bag and my keys, to eventually open the door.

"You can put your salad into my fridge for now, I guess," I suggest.

"Alright, Anon." Sayori walks over to my fridge and sticks the bag inside. Sayori runs back over to me and grips my arm, a smile on her face. "What are we gonna do now?"

"We both need to write our poems for Monday, right? We need to have them done by tomorrow, so we might as well write them now."

"Ooh, yeah!" Sayori claps her hands. "Let's make it a race!"

"Sayori, you're supposed take your time with poems," I remind her.

"I bet I'll take my time faster!" Sayori laughs as she keeps her grip tight on my arm.

"Come on, let's grab some paper and pens."

Sayori and I walk to my bedroom, since I have my supplies there. After today, I think Sayori is right. I shouldn't worry about the past, or what I can't fix. I should just focus on having a good time with her. That's important to her, I know. And as I see her smile, and see her hold up her pen as if it has the power to shape fate, I can't help but smile as inspiration takes hold of my own pen. I let my feelings flow onto the paper as she does as well, and we each write out our poems.

_

 _(Notes: Ooh boy, I am dreading writing these poems. Whatever, that's later. I hit a huge block in the middle of this, and I kept coming back to the same parts over and over. But I'm happy with how this all turned out! I'm really happy, too, because the story points I've laid out for myself going forward look like they're going to flow pretty smoothly. As always, input is appreciated and encouraged! See you in the next chapter!)_


	8. Saturday Night

_(Note: I changed my mind about ignoring their parents, so a heads-up. Also, since Sayori's surname is unmentioned, I used to call her parents Mr. and Mrs. Sayori, but I changed it now because that was stupid.)_

 ** _I do_** ** _not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

I set down my pen and look over my poem. I'm happy with how it turned out.

"Oh, are you finally done?" Sayori teases, satisfied with winning her race. "I was getting bored waiting for you."

"Eh, whatever," I make my way over to her and sit down on the bed. "Are you sure you don't want to show me your poem before the festival?"

"Yeah, I want it to be a surprise!" Sayori shows me a big grin.

"Fine, then I won't show you mine, either."

"Hmph," Sayori grunts in disappointment, before crossing her arms and turning her face away. "Fine, then."

It isn't long before Sayori starts laughing and leans her head on my shoulder.

"What do you want to do now?" Sayori asks, not abandoning her place on my shoulder. "We still have a bit of time before dinner."

"Well, I know you said we'd talk about it later, so... Do you want to see if there's a therapist's office near here?"

I feel Sayori tense up as I ask. It's not unexpected, but I still really don't want to have to put her through so much trouble.

Sayori sighs, "Oh, fine. I guess we can make an appointment, too, if there's one nearby. I don't mind it if it'll make you feel better."

"Thanks," I say as I put Sayori in a hug. "Let's see..."

I take out my phone and start searching, first, for what kind of doctor we should see.

"Would you be open to taking medication for it?" I look at Sayori for her approval of the idea.

"I... don't know..." Sayori furrows her brow. "Doesn't that just dull my feelings? I don't want to lose the feelings I have when I'm with you." She grabs my arm, as if she's afraid of losing me.

"Alright, no psychiatrist, then. Let's see if there's a psychologist near here."

Fortunately, there's a well rated psychology office near our high school. Its hours go late, too, so Sayori could potentially go after the club weekly if she chooses to. There's a phone number on the website to place appointments.

"How about this place?" I ask, handing Sayori my phone.

She looks the page over thoughtfully. She moves through a few tabs and reads multiple reviews, and I see her eyes narrow in concentration.

"I guess it looks good..." Sayori hands me back my phone. "But I just realized; how will we pay for this?!" Her eyes widen with concern at me.

"Well, we can ask your parents," I suggest. "I'm sure they'd want you to go."

"Y-Yeah, but they don't know! I don't want to worry them about it! They already work so hard..."

Sayori's father works abroad. I don't remember the last time I've personally seen him, but he apparently came home about a month ago for a weekend. It just happens to be that Sayori's mom had left town this week to visit him. She's going to be back Monday, which also happens to be the day of the cultural festival.

"Well, I guess I kinda assumed that they don't know," I say with a sigh, "but I don't think it would be such a bad thing if you tell them."

"B-B-But... I don't..." Sayori puts her face in her hands, crying, and turns away from me.

 _'Crap...'_

"Hey... Sayori..." I shouldn't have said that. I know I'm already putting her under pressure already, and that was just a little too far. "You don't have to. It was just a suggestion."

"No..." Sayori says softly. "I want to... I'm just scared. I don't want to upset them."

I sigh. "Sayori, stop worrying about people getting upset. You know your parents want to support you, right? They won't be able to if you don't let them know." I slide behind Sayori and put my arms around her. "Trust me."

Sayori grabs my arms and holds them against herself. "I do. I just don't trust myself..."

"I trust you."

"... Alright. I guess I should get it over with," she says, taking out her phone.

"I'll be here with you," I say as I move to put my arm around her shoulders.

Sayori sighs as she goes to her phone contacts. She presses her mom's cell phone number, and holds her phone to her ear. As the dial tone sounds, I give her a small squeeze, trying to reassure her. She smiles at me, but then there's a click over the phone, and I here the voice of Sayori's mom on the line.

"Hey Mom!.."

"Yeah, I'm alright, how about you?.."

"That's good..."

"Why I'm calling? Oh! Well, you see... I'm... kinda in a situation..."

"No, it's, um... I... I don't... I can't..." Sayori starts crying. She looks at me, "C-Can you?"

"Um... I guess I can... Are you sure?"

Sayori just shoves the phone at me without saying anything, and I can hear her mom freaking out on the other side of the phone.

"-are you there?! Sweetie? Hello?"

"Um, hi Mrs. Saitō. This is Anon."

"W-What's going on? Where's Sayori?"

"She's right here. She's fine- well, I guess she really isn't, but-"

"Just tell me what happened!"

"Nothing happened. I didn't know about it until yesterday, but..." I try to calm down, as I realize I'm talking a bit frantically. "Sayori has depression."

"... Huh?"

Even over the phone, I can picture her face. I can remember how I felt when Sayori told me. It's so hard to imagine her to be sad, given her convincing façade, and that it's even opposite of what she gives off.

"F-For how long?" Mrs. Saitō's voice comes over shakily.

"She said she had it as long as she remembers."

"I..." She shudders and takes a deep breath. "Can I talk to her?"

I turn to Sayori, "Hey, are you okay to talk with her?"

Sayori wipes her eyes. "Y-Yeah, I th-think so..."

She takes the phone from me, and slowly brings it to her face, "H-Hey, Mom..."

"Y-Yeah..."

"Yeah, Anon convinced me to call. I-I'm sorry I couldn't tell you myself."

"No, it's not your fault!"

"W-Well, Anon convinced me to see a psychologist, and there's one with really good reviews near school, but I realized that I need money. I was wondering-"

I can hear Sayori's mom screaming something about paying for the psychologist, and Sayori starts laughing. Suddenly, Sayori's eyes shoot open.

"Nonononono! Don't come home early! I have plans tomorrow, so I wouldn't see you at all anyway!"

Sayori proceeds to agrue with her mom about why she shouldn't change her plans to come home early. It lasts for about 5 minutes, until:

"Alright, I'll see you on Monday. I love you Mom."

She hangs up and sighs, "She'll be coming home when she planned. Her flight lands early on Monday morning, so she'll be able to see me before we go to the festival."

"I'm proud of you, Sayori," I say, giving her a hug.

"That was super stressful, but I feel so relieved now." She pulls deeper into the hug. "She said that she would pay for the therapy."

"Well, of course she would. She loves you almost as much as I do," I say, patting her back.

"Ahaha, that's embarrassing, Anon!"

"Hey, you ready to call the office?"

"I don't feel up to it..."

"I'll call for you, then," I say, leaving a kiss on her cheek.

Sayori giggles and falls back on my bed as I call the number on the website. After going through the details, I set up the appointment for 30 minutes after the festival on Monday.

"Hey Sayori," I say, grabbing her arms to lift her, "are you ready for dinner?"

"Ooh, leftover shrimp!" Sayori says enthusiastically as she jumps up.

We walk to the kitchen and reheat the shrimp, and Sayori also grabs her salad from the fridge. As we eat, I repeatedly tell Sayori how proud I am, and she repeatedly thanks me for my support. We also commend each other for the dinner, which is still delicious even though it's a day old and reheated.

"Hey Sayori, do you want to watch another movie?" I ask while cleaning the plates. "We still have a couple hours before you really need to go home."

"Actually..." Sayori starts twiddling her thumbs. "I was wondering if I could... spend the night here again?" She holds up her hands to beg.

"Y-Yeah, of course you can! I just... I thought you wouldn't want to."

"Eh? Why wouldn't I want to?"

"Well, I guess I didn't want to... suffocate you with attention, I guess."

"Aw, you could never do that, Anon. I could never get enough of this!" Sayori puts her arms around me from behind as I dry off my hands.

"Well then," I say, spinning around in Sayori's arms, "let's find a good movie to watch this time."

Sayori and I each change into our pajamas and gather on my bed again. Instead of just picking the most recent decent movie this time, Sayori and I scroll through a few different sections before we decide on a movie. It's an action movie that came out a few years ago, but Sayori and I never saw it. It's supposedly really good, so we don't have much of an issue agreeing to watch it. It really is good, too. Even though the majority of the movie is focused on action, there is enough character building done to make us care about the people. There are even some clever comedic moments peppered throughout the film. Sayori is awake the whole way through, this time, and I can feel that she enjoys the movie.

As I turn off the TV, I turn to Sayori. "That was pretty good. Better than I expected."

"Yeah," Sayori agrees enthusiastically. "My favorite part was when the main character was going to sacrifice themself in a really dramatic way, but then the villain was killed by a major support character!"

"You don't remember their names at all?"

"No, but that doesn't matter! It was reeally good!" she insists with an aggressive nod.

I sigh and put my arms around Sayori. "You are too precious!"

"Aah!" Sayori squeaks. "I'm not a dog!"

"You're cuter," I say, kissing her cheek.

Sayori giggles madly and returns the kiss on my own cheek. I check the time, _9:03._ I normally prefer staying up later, especially on the weekend, but it's been a pretty exhausting day and I have to get my house ready for Yuri's visit tomorrow.

"Hey Sayori, I think I'm gonna hit the sack. I'm really tired, and I need to be rested for tomorrow."

"Okay, I guess I'll see you in the morning, then." Sayori makes her way to the bedroom door.

"You can wake me up if you need anything, okay?"

"Alright. Goodnight, Anon."

"Goodnight. I love you, Sayori."

Sayori blushes and giggles again, "I love you too."

She closes the door, and I hear her close the door to the guest room as she goes in. I'm glad Sayori wanted to spend the night. I don't know how well I would sleep if she were down the street right now. Just knowing that she's close is enough to put me at ease, and I fall to sleep, with her in my thoughts.

_

"H-Hey, Anon?"

I wake up to the sound of Sayori's voice. It's pitch black in my room, but I can just make out her figure over my bed.

"Y-Yeah? What's up?" I sit up groggily and rub my eyes. "What time is it?"

"About midnight, I think."

"Well, what's up?"

"I had a nightmare... Can I sleep... with you?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Come on, get under the covers." I lift up the blankets and Sayori slides in.

"T-Thanks."

"No problem." I grab Sayori's hand, which is sweaty, and feel her shaking next to me. "What was it about?"

"What was what about?"

"The nightmare, dummy."

"Oh, yeah. You and I were in a car–you were driving–and we... we went off of a cliff. I looked at you, but you were just smiling. It's like you didn't even realize that we were going to die. I was so scared..."

"Hey, Sayori," I say, putting my arms all the way around her. "I'm here. You're here. We're alive, right?"

"Yeah..." Sayori turns and puts her arms around me.

"I love you. I won't ever let you get hurt. I expect the same from you."

"Yeah. I love you too. I'll always be with you." Sayori buries her face into my chest. "Goodnight, Anon."

"Goodnight Sayori."

_

 _(Notes_ _: Ironically, the more positive feedback I get, the less confident I become in this story. I'm really worried about messing up. For myself, at least, it's pretty obvious how inconsistent I am. Oh well, whatever happens is what happens.)_


	9. Sunday, Yuri's Visit

_(Note: It has been brought to my attention multiple times (by one person) that there is an interest in this story changing rating. This will remain a wholesome story! I may or may not have been toying with the idea of a separate spin-off_ _, but don't get your hopes up about that, either.)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club, or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

"Anon, wake up!"

"Huh? What?"

I open my eyes to a bright light entering my room, which is accompanied by Sayori's voice. As my eyes adjust to the light, I see that Sayori is not only up, but fully dressed.

"I've let you sleep long enough!" Sayori insists. "You need to get ready for Yuri's visit."

"W-What time is it?" I start getting out of bed.

"It's noon," she explains. "I already cleaned up your room, so don't worry about that. Just get to the shower."

I look around my room, and see that all of my manga is neatly organized, all of my trash is gone, and the other miscellaneous items are put away.

"Hey, Anon!" Sayori snaps me from my daze. "Really, get to the shower! I'll have lunch ready when you're done."

"Uh.. Lunch?" I say, still drowzy and collecting my thoughts. "Oh yeah, I slept in. Um... Alright, I'll be ready quick. I'll get to the shower now."

I get up and grab some fresh clothes from my dresser. Sayori grabs my arm and practically drags me to the bathroom.

"Be quick, or I might finish making the food too early," Sayori says softly.

"Yeah... Uh, thanks, Sayori."

"Just get in the shower!" Sayori closes the bathroom door.

I turn on the water. As I undress and stretch, my senses begin coming back to me. My mind wanders as I let the water wander over my body. The club, the festival, Yuri, Sayori... _Sayori._ I reflect over the last couple days as I take my shower by muscle memory.

 _'Sayori... has depression. She's been my friend for so long, and I never noticed. Not until I finally started realizing that I care. That morning, that moment when I saw her crying. Then, when I confessed my love and she reciprocated those feelings... Now we're a couple. We love each other. Or was she just being nice? Does she only think of me as a close friend, but she didn't want to hurt me? No, after these days we spent together... I know she cares about me more than just as a friend. That doesn't mean she is being truthful with me, though. She's still probably hurting more than she's letting on. Tomorrow... Tomorrow is the festival. More importantly, it's Sayori's appointment with the psychologist. And her mother is coming back. Wait– how will we tell her that we're together? After knowing that we were best friends for so long, how will she react? Not just her, but also the girls in the club..._ '

As my thoughts whirl, I come to realize that I've already turned off the shower and started drying off. I finish getting ready, then go to the kitchen, where I see Sayori sliding a grilled cheese sandwich onto a plate, adjacent to another plate already with its own grilled cheese.

"Hey Sayori." I take in the scent of melted cheese and almost-but-not-quite burnt bread. "Mm, smells good."

"Oh, you're ready just in time Anon!" Sayori runs over and gives me a small hug. "Let's eat!"

Sayori and I sit down at the table and Sayori quickly starts eating her sandwich. I follow, starting to eat the sandwich she made for me. It tastes... Like a grilled cheese sandwich. The taste is pretty average, but the way the cheese is melted makes it extremely soft in an unexpectedly comfortable way.

"Wow Sayori, this is really good!" I say, nodding my approval of her cooking.

"I've had practice!" Sayori explains excitedly. "I love grilled cheeses! They're one of my favorite foods!"

"Almost everything is one of your favorite foods," I retort.

"Hey, that's mean, Anon! And after I made you food, too!"

I laugh a little at her reaction. "That's something I like about you, dummy. It makes you easy to get along with."

"R-Really?" Sayori looks at me hopefully.

"Yeah, it's really a good thing."

Sayori smiles and takes another bite of her sandwich.

"Why are you having me rush so much?" I ask her. "Yuri isn't going to be here for another hour or so."

"Oh, well," Sayori says, seemingly embarrassed, "I need to get going soon, to design the pamphlets online with Monika. I just wanted to make sure you got ready before I have to go."

"Oh, well thanks. When is that?"

"At around 12:30."

"Oh, then you should hurry soon, right?"

"Yeah, I'm already ready to go as soon as we finish eating."

"Well, I don't mean to rush the finished product, but you better finish those pamphlets fast. Because, I'll be expecting you to help Yuri and me later."

Sayori laughs and gives me a thumbs up. "You got it!"

After eating, Sayori grabs her bag with her clothes and other things, and I walk her out to the sidewalk.

"Alright, I need to get going now." Sayori shows me a big smile.

"I'll see you later, babe," I say, giving her a hug.

"B-B-Babe??" Sayori sputters.

"What, too much?"

"N-No, I like it," Sayori says, hugging me back. "It's just... it's the first time you've said something like that."

"I shouldn't keep you here any more. See you soon."

Sayori and I let each other go, and wave to each other as she skips toward her house.

 _'Right... I've done what I can for her for now. Time to get ready for Yuri to get here.'_

The first thing I do is clean the kitchen–the mini grill Sayori used to make lunch, the plates, and some other things that are out. Next, I get the things that Yuri told me to buy, and move them to my room, where we'll be working. I make my bed and tidy up whatever in my room that's still out. However, I'm surprised that Sayori was able to get it this clean. I wonder why she doesn't clean her own room like this, but I instantly curse myself for forgetting about her depression. Then I type my poem into a text, which I send to Monika. I give her specific instructions not to put it in the pamphlet until Sayori was finished helping, since Sayori didn't want me to see hers, either.

I sit down and turn on the TV, as I still have 40 minutes until Yuri is supposed to show up. I decide it's a good time to catch up on the anime I've missed, as most new episodes release on Saturdays and I was a little preoccupied. I don't even have time to watch one though, because 20 minutes before Yuri should be here, I hear a knock on my front door.

"Y-Yuri?" I say as I open the door. "You're a little early."

Yuri stands in front of my house, wearing a beige turtleneck sweater and tight black pants.

"Oh," Yuri looks down a little bit and holds her hand above the center of her chest (a gesture she often subconsciously makes when she's embarrassed or nervous). "Am I too early?"

"Oh, no. I'm all ready, I just wasn't really expecting you yet. Come inside."

I open my door all the way and stand aside to let Yuri through. She picks up a couple of full bags from the ground at her sides.

"Ah, it looks like you brought a lot of stuff."

"Yes, though I only have some of these things because I bought them on the way. We won't actually need to work with all of this stuff today."

I sigh in relief.

Yuri continues, "So, did you buy what I asked you to get?"

"Oh, yeah, I got everything. Let's head to my room, we can work there."

"Ah, okay." Yuri smiles cordially.

As we enter my room, the first thing Yuri does is look around. It makes me a little self-conscious, despite it having been cleaned.

"It's... So clean," Yuri says, still scanning the room.

"Oh, Sayori helped me clean up."

I instantly regret letting that come out of my mouth, and I start hoping that she won't question why Sayori was here. I was planning on telling the whole club about our relationship at once, and I don't really know how to politely bring it up one-on-one. Wait... Would Sayori tell Monika? No, she wouldn't that fast, would she?

 _'Yes, yes she would.'_

Well, I still might as well wait for Sayori to get here before I tell her. But, to my horror, her eyes slightly widen, certainly meaning that she takes an interest in the statement.

"Oh, I forgot," she starts, letting off an uncertain smile. "Sayori lives near you, doesn't she?"

"Uh, yeah. She lives just down the street." My body stays tense.

"Well, I guess it makes sense. She did say that you cleaned her room many times, so she was repaying you, right?"

"Yes!" I exclaim, glad that she came up with an excuse for me. "Speaking of Sayori, though, she said that she might stop by later to help us. I assume you're fine with that?"

"Oh, yes. But isn't she working with Monika?"

"She said she's just helping design the pamphlets online, so she'll have time to help us afterwards."

"Oh, that's good then."

Yuri wanders my room curiously, and reaches to open a desk drawer of mine.

"Wait, don't open that!" I exclaim, grabbing her wrist before she reaches the drawer.

"A-Ah, I'm so sorry! I just spaced out, I'm sorry!" Yuri's face visibly reddens.

"No, it's fine," I say.

I let go of her wrist, which she sets in her lap, as if to keep track of it. It isn't that I keep anything embarrassing in that drawer, but I have no real idea about what's actually in there. Since Sayori cleaned, I don't know where she put what, so it doesn't hurt to play it safe. Then again, Yuri probably thinks I have something weird in there now, thanks to my reaction.

"So... Uh, should we get started?" I ask, hoping to move past the incident.

"Ah, yes," she replies, relaxing her expression. "Um, I have a few things planned that you can help with. Decorations and other atmospheric enhancements."

"Atmospheric enhancements?" I'm truly unaware of what goes into an event's atmosphere.

"You know, mood lighting, aromatherapy candles, and that sort of thing." Yuri begins to slip into the same confidence she shows when talking about her poems.

"Oh wow, you're going pretty far with this."

"Of course! I want to bring our guests to a faraway place. Even though some will stop by out of curiosity, or... for cupcakes, I guess... I'm determined to provide an experience that will leave them wanting more."

"That's great. It's easy to forget that you can be a pretty intense person."

Yuri slightly recoils. "Eh? I-Intense..?"

"Yeah, I guess that's the best way to put it."

"Is that... a bad thing?"

"No, not at all! It's a good thing."

"I-Is that so? That... makes me feel relieved. And... a little happy, too."

"Yeah, there's no need to feel so anxious. Just relax."

"Relax," Yuri sighs. Suddenly, her expression lightens. "Actually, I brought some things for relaxation. I was planning on using them during the festival."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Well...," She rummages through her bag, and pulls out a few candles and a wooden cylindrical object. "I went shopping on the way here, so I just happen to have these. I'm planning on covering the windows with black paper and using the candles to light the room. That would be amazing, don't you think?"

"Yeah, that'd be really neat. What's that wooden thing for, though?"

"Oh, this? It's a diffuser for essential oils. How familiar are you with aromatherapy?"

"Not familiar at all."

"Oh, is that so? It's one of my favorite contributors to a positive atmosphere. Depending on the herbs or oils you choose, you can change the mood of the air itself. You can feel it permeate through your body– relaxation, positive energy, romance, reflection... It's almost like magic!"

Yuri grabs the diffuser and hits a switch on the bottom. Soon enough, a thin stream of vapor begins shooting out of a hole on the top. It smells good, and a little like flowers.

"Oh, that smells nice," I comment. "What mood is this one for?"

"This one is a Jasmine essential oil," she explains. "It smells kind of sweet and flowery, right?"

"Yeah, that's how I'd describe it."

"I chose this one for the event because it provides more than just relaxation. It enhances your emotions and helps you feel them flow in your body. You feel warmer, and your heart pounds more heavily. Don't you think it's perfect for sharing our poems?"

"Yeah, It does sound suitable. But you seem to know what you're doing, so I'll follow your judgement on anything."

Yuri smiles, clearly enjoying herself. She reaches back into the bag and takes out a few long spools of ribbon.

"What are those for?" I ask.

"Well, do you have the oragami paper I asked you to get?"

"Yeah, I have it right here," I say, grabbing the paper from my bag.

"We're not going to be folding oragami with it. What I'd like to do is write a different word on each piece of paper. We'll need about a hundred of them."

"Okay... And what'll we use those for?"

"Well, I'm going to cut pieces of ribbon to hang from the classroom's doorway, and fasten the paper to each ribbon to create a doorway curtain. Wouldn't that be beautiful? It would also catch the attention of passersby, who may peak inside."

"Wow, that's really creative. I had no idea you'd be so good at this, Yuri."

"Is... Is that so? Well, I suppose I do get a little... intense, as you'd call it." She lets out a giggle.

I start to realize that Yuri seems much more comfortable with less people around. Or maybe it's just the excitement she gets from sharing something she loves doing.

"Here's a marker, Anon," Yuri says, handing me a thin black marker. "You can write any characters you want. I'll help once I'm done cutting the ribbons."

"Alright," I say, picking up the first piece of paper.

Finally, the two of us begin our actual work. I do my best to manage my bad handwriting, and carefully write out some random words on the papers. Yuri, meanwhile, measures out a section of ribbon to cut. She then pulls a pocket knife out of one of her bags. The knife is strangely... beautiful. It has a silver handle, intricately engraved with waves, and a blue tinted blade.

"Woah..." I say, intrigued by the knife. "That's no ordinary pocket knife. It looks really fancy."

"A-Ah, well..." Yuri's face reddens and she looks away.

"What's wrong?"

"Y-You're going to think it's weird..."

"Whatever it is, I have no reason to judge you. To each their own, you know?" I try to be reassuring, because it seems like she has trouble opening up to people.

"I-If you promise you won't be weirded out..."

"I promise."

Yuri's expression relaxes a little bit once again. "O-Okay. You see, the thing is... I'm kinda into knives. They're just... So beautiful. I don't know what it is... The combination of craftsmanship and the feeling of danger, maybe... Uuh, what am I saying?! Please, don't think I'm weird for this!"

I start laughing. Was Yuri really that scared of talking about something so small?

"Y-You're laughing at me..."

"Aha, no... No I'm not. I just think it's funny that you got so nervous about sharing that. I guess... it's an interesting thing to be into, but it kind of suits you."

Yuri tenses up at that last comment. "S-Suits me?"

"Uh, yeah... It's kind of... intense!" I say with another laugh. "Besides, that's a really cool-looking knife, I can't deny that."

"It is, isn't it?" Yuri's face once again relaxes. "Would you like to hold it?"

"Yeah, I'd like to check it out."

Yuri carefully hands me the knife, with the blade facing away from me. As I turn it over in my hands, I can feel its heft and sturdiness. I don't even know where you can get a knife like this. The blade looks sharp, but I decide to check the sharpness by feeling the edge with my index finger.

"Ah!"

The blade instantly cuts into my skin as I touch the blade. I wasn't being too forceful with it, and I've checked sharp blades before, so this blade must be unbelievably sharp.

"A-Anon!" Yuri squeaks. "Why would you do something like that?"

"I didn't expect it to be so sharp... I barely touched it at all."

"Oh, this is my fault, I should have warned you. This knife can cut through skin like it's paper!"

My mind catches that– it's pretty specific to say that a knife can cut through skin like paper... But I quickly dismiss it, as she probably just said that because I cut my own skin on it.

"Ah, you're bleeding," Yuri says with concern on her face.

She grabs my hand to look at the wound. A small amount of blood runs down my finger, and she noticeably fidgets.

"If you're squeamish," I say, "I'll go wash it off now– Ah!"

Yuri suddenly takes my hand and puts it in her mouth. Her tongue licks my wound and curls around my finger. I quickly pull my hand back. Yuri's eyes widen and her face becomes a deep red.

"O-Oh... P-Please forgive me! I wasn't thinking! I..." Yuri lowers her face into her hands.

"Yuri..."

"That was the most embarrassing thing I've ever done," Yuri mumbles from her hands. "How could I do something like that? I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

That... was weird. I don't know how to react, and my head is swarming with thoughts. But the most prevalent of them all is:

 _'When will Sayori get here?!'_

_

 _(Notes: Alright, I wanted to get at least this far for this chapter. Good place to stop, I think. I'm thinking about a few different ways to start the next chapter, but I'll go with whatever I think would be most realistic for MC in this scenario since he's already Sayori's boyfriend. Feedback and input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	10. Sunday, Yuri's Visit part 2

_(Note: Hey, all! From this point forward, there will be some darker themes and imagery explored. I'm excited to get into these next few chapters though. It's building up to something nice, I promise!)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

 _'I should have helped Natsuki instead.._ _Why did she do that..? How do I deal with this?_ _When will Sayori get here?!'_

With all the thoughts going through my head, the only thing I can't seem to think of is how to respond. I barely know Yuri... And she just put my finger in her mouth. Why would she do that? Does she have a thing for blood? No, I shouldn't think like that. Still though...

I look up at Yuri to look for some sign of what I should do, but her face is still buried in her hands. Then I suddenly realize– She feels just as awkward as I do right now, maybe even more. I don't really understand why she did it, but I can't even imagine how I'd feel if I did something so embarrassing. I should say something to her. I mean, it was _really_ _weird_ , but it isn't anything to ruin a friendship over, right?

"H-Hey Yuri," I stutter, "I th-think you're overreacting a little."

"Oohh," Yuri sighs into her hands.

What if Yuri can't recover from this for the whole afternoon? We still need to get the festival decorations done. I should say something...

"Okay, Yuri. I guess that caught me off guard, and it was kinda weird, but you were just trying to help, right? That isn't the kind of thing to end a friendship, I think."

"Huh?" Yuri looks up from her hands, her face still extremely red. "F-Friend? You think of me as a friend?"

"Well, yeah. What else would I think of you as?"

"I-I don't know... Just another club member, I guess..."

"Well, I guess I'm trying to say... This isn't as bad as you're seeing it in your head."

It absolutely is as bad as she's seeing it in her head. I can still barely even get my head around the event that just transpired, but I'd rather put her at ease, even if it's difficult. We still need to get through the decorations, after all.

Yuri gently smiles. "Thanks, Anon. You're a really kind person... Where do you keep your band-aids?"

I look at my finger. "I don't need one. It already stopped bleeding, see?"

"Okay. Let's resume the preparation, then."

"Wait, do you want some mouthwash? You know, to get rid of the taste of... blood?"

Yuri looks surprised, as if she forgot about what she just did. Then, she blushes and says, "Oh, yes please."

"Alright," I say, getting up. "Follow me."

When we reach the bathroom, I grab a paper cup and pour Listerine into it. As Yuri swishes, I wash my hands, focusing specifically on the finger she had violated. We finish up, and head back to the bedroom to continue working. The air is certainly heavy, but the Jasmine oil seems to help us each slowly relax. As I proceed to write out words on the oragami paper, Yuri brandishes her knife once again. It cuts through the ribbon instantly on contact, as if it's air. After cutting the ribbons, Yuri helps me finish my task, with her handwriting obviously neater than mine. We then fasten the pieces of paper to the ribbons, and lay them side by side. It looks better than I thought it would, and will be very effective as a door curtain.

"That looks great," I comment. "Good thinking coming up with this, Yuri."

"Ah, thanks," Yuri says. "It's just something that I saw online, really. Are you ready to move on to the next task?"

"Yeah, let's do it. What did you have in mind?"

"I'd like to cre–" Yuri is cut off by a knock on the door downstairs.

"Oh, Sayori must be here," I say. "I'll be right back with her."

"Okay, I'll wait here. I'll tell you two about the next task when you get back."

"Right."

I exit the bedroom and quickly walk down the stairs and to the front door. I open the door, and am greeted by Sayori's smile.

"Hey Anon!" she exclaims as she jumps on me, wrapping me up in a tight hug.

"H-Hey, Sayori," I reply with a small laugh.

Sayori lets herself down and looks around. "So, is Yuri upstairs?"

"Yeah, she is. Um... Sayori, did you tell Monika that we're... you know... a couple?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I did. Why?"

"Well... I didn't tell Yuri yet. I'm just really awkward at that kind of thing..."

Sayori pouts at me. "So, what? You were waiting for me so that I would tell her?"

"Well, not really... I don't know, I just didn't know how to bring it up. I'm sorry!" I clap my hands together and bow forward in a pleading fashion.

Sayori laughs, "I'm just kidding, jeez. C'mon, let's go up."

Sayori grabs my sleeve and tugs me up the stairs. She opens the door and as I look in, I see Yuri quickly unroll her sleeve and pull it down her arm. I wonder why her sleeve was rolled up... She turns toward us with both hands behind her back.

"Hello Sayori," Yuri says with a smile.

"Hi Yuri!" Sayori runs over and gives her a hug.

"Ah, Sayori! Stop!" Yuri struggles from Sayori's grip.

When Sayori steps back from Yuri, I gaze in confusion at what I see. A red mark is visible on Yuri's sleeve. Did she get something on it? Or... I suddenly realize that that's the sleeve Yuri had just rolled down.

"Hey Yuri, what's on your sleeve?" I ask, still unsure of it.

"Huh?" Yuri looks down.

As she turns to look at her arm, I can see her other hand momentarily before she adjusts it behind her back. It looks like she's holding her knife...

"W-Wait a minute..." I stutter, my thoughts swirling and slowly deciphering themselves.

Yuri's eyes open wide. "Oh, th-this is... Uhh.."

Yuri starts shaking, and looks visibly weak in her knees. Sayori has her hands cupped over her mouth.

"Y-Yuri!" Sayori embraces her violently.

Whether due to Sayori's forcefulness or her shock, Yuri drops the knife she was holding behind her back. Sayori gets her to sit down against the wall, and rolls up Yuri's sleeve. It almost feels unreal, like I'm watching through a TV screen. I feel almost numb as I see the blood trickling down from several shallow cuts in Yuri's arm.

"Anon!" Sayori breaks me from my daze. "Go get some rubbing alcohol, bandages, and paper towels!"

"Uh– Right, right away."

I run to the bathroom and grab the medical supplies Sayori asked for. I return in what must be a world record time. Sayori holds some paper towels under Yuri's arm as she pours out the rubbing alcohol, to which Yuri replies with a sharp inhale.

"Oh my God, Yuri," Sayori says, patting Yuri's arm with a towel. "Why did you do this?"

"Uuuh," Yuri sighs. "I don't... I don't know what to say..."

I crouch down next to Yuri on the ground. "Just be honest with us. You can trust us, we're your friends."

Yuri looks back and forth between Sayori and me. "I-It's just... I don't know..."

"Well, I'll tell you what," Sayori says as she bandages up Yuri's arm. "How about we all share something embarrassing. Kinda like how we share poems, you know? It's a lot easier if other people are doing it too."

"Wait, Sayori, what am I supposed to say?" I ask. I know Sayori is depressed, and now that Yuri cuts herself, but I don't have anything like that at all. I'm a pretty average guy.

"Hmm..." Sayori thinks for a bit. "How about that thing we talked about downstairs?"

"Wait, you mean..?" I ask, but only receive only a nod in return. "But that has to do with you, too."

"Yeah, but you'll be the one saying it. That's what matters."

I sigh, "So who should go first?"

"You, Anon," Sayori says with an encouraging smile.

Yuri looks at me curiously, and I look back at her, glancing at her arm every few seconds.

"A-Alright... I was going to tell you earlier, actually, but I just felt really awkward about bringing it up one-on-one. The thing is... On Friday, Sayori and I decided... that..." I falter.

"Just say it!" Sayori says, shoving me.

"Fine," I say, before turning back to Yuri. "Sayori and I are dating now. T-There, I said it."

Yuri's eyes widen. "Y-You two are... a couple?"

Yuri looks at me and her face reddens. I can only assume that it's because of the finger incident earlier.

"Yeah!" Sayori says, throwing her arms around me.

Yuri takes a moment to think about this new information, and then laughs.

"I should have seen that coming," Yuri says. "But I really didn't think either one of you would take the initiative."

"W-Was I that obvious?" Sayori asks.

"You both were," Yuri laughs again.

"Well, anyway," I say, trying but failing to blanch my cheeks, "it's your turn Sayori."

"Okay!" Sayori turns to Yuri, still holding onto me. "I'm depressed."

I'm caught a little off guard because she says it so matter-of-factly. Despite her confident voice though, I feel her arms weaken slightly around me. I put my arms around her to comfort her.

"Eh?" Yuri looks blankly at Sayori. "You... have depression?"

"Yeah, but it'll be fine. Anon convinced me to see a therapist tomorrow." Sayori looks up at me with a grateful smile.

Yuri turns to me, "Anon, how long have you known about her depression?"

"Since Friday," I reply. "But Sayori's right. Tomorrow, she'll see a therapist. It'll be a long road from there, but it'll get better."

"Hooh," Yuri sighs. "That makes my issue seem pretty stupid."

"No, don't say that!" Sayori says, sitting up. "Anything that could cause this isn't stupid."

"It's just that... I don't have depression, or anxiety, or anything like that. The cutting is just to relieve stress."

"Huh?" Sayori says, cocking her head a little. "What's stressing you so much?"

"W-Well... I guess it started a few years ago, when my mother died..."

Sayori and I each sit down on our behinds, sensing this'll be a long story.

_

 _(Notes: I really wanted to go all the way to when Yuri goes home in this chapter, but it'll have to wait for next time. In case you are wondering, the blood soaked through Yuri's sleeve because Sayori put pressure on her arm when she hugged her. Not that I wanted it to happen like that, but that's how I felt it would have gone once I got to writing. Next chapter will be the end of Yuri's visit and also the end of Sunday, so the day of the festival (a historically tragic time) will be after that. As always_ _, feedback and_ _input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	11. Sunday Evening

_(Hey again! I feel really bad that this took a little longer than the others did_ _. I kinda lost my drive, and then got sick, but I'm better now. Hopefully I can get these out pretty consistently going forward. Also, I'd like to thank you guys for 70 follows and 50 favorites! Really, it's so cool to see the support for this. Anyway, here's Yuri's backstory and then some pizza time (with a coincidental visit from a friend)!)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

"W-Well... I guess it all started a few years ago, when my mother died..." Yuri begins.

Sayori and I both sit down, prepared for a long story.

Seeing us getting comfortable, Yuri exclaims, "I-I don't want to make you guys sit through this! If you w-want, I c-can–"

"Yuri!" Sayori says loudly. "Just tell us! We want to know!"

Yuri looks at me, and I nod my head in confirmation.

"O-Okay," Yuri sighs. "M-My father has always worked so hard for my family. He works long hours, and it was up to my mother to take care of my brother and me, along with the house. But, after she died..." Yuri takes a small breath before continuing, "It all became my duty. Whenever I wasn't at school or doing homework, I was taking care of my little brother, or cleaning, or making food. And my father is constantly over-stressed from work. It isn't a physical job, but it's still very strenuous on him. My mother used to be there for him, but ever since she..." Yuri takes another breath. "He was getting worse. He turned to alcohol, even. He was never violent, but... He was hurting so much, and I couldn't help. All of my home responsibilities, school, my brother and father... It all just got to me, and I heard that this was a good way to relieve stress."

"Did it work?" Sayori asks curiously, tilting her head slightly.

"Sayori," I say worriedly, "don't ask that."

"I'm just asking, jeez," Sayori pouts at me. "Stop worrying."

"Go on," I say to Yuri with a sigh.

"U-Uhm..." Yuri stutters, "W-Well, it _did_ work, it helped distract me from my other issues. B-But all the stress is gone now. My brother is older, and my father has a fiance, so I don't have all that stress anymore, but... I... just can't stop... I-It just feels so good and relaxing..." Yuri starts to tear up. "I-I want to stop, but I'm addicted! Not just the feeling, but everything! The knives, the blood, the pain and the nice feeling that comes right after... I don't feel like I can stop it anymore..."

At this point, Yuri is crying, curled up in a ball on the ground. I don't think she's ever brought this up with people before, so I can't imagine how difficult this is for her. I can't begin to think of how to handle this situation, but Sayori crawls over to the pile on the floor that is Yuri and puts her arms around her.

"Hey, it's okay Yuri," Sayori hums out. "I'm glad that you told us."

Yuri takes a second to calm down, before sitting up and smiling at Sayori. Then, she turns to face me. "Anon, I'm... sorry about earlier."

"Ah, no, don't worry about that," I say with an uncomfortable laugh.

"Eh?" Sayori looks between us. "What happened earlier?"

"Ah..." Yuri's face burns bright red as she turns away from Sayori, who is looking at me for an explanation.

"I, uh, cut my finger on her knife accidentally," I say, laughing.

 _'I'm not_ _lying, technically.'_

"What?!" Sayori springs over to me from her spot on the ground and grabs at my hands to inspect them.

"S-Sayori?" I say as she grabs my cut finger. "Calm down, it isn't that bad."

As she sees my cut, she sighs and scolds me. "You should be more careful, Anon."

I start laughing, but am cut off by Yuri panicking. "Oh my God, what time is it?!" she exclaims, looking out the window. "I need to go!"

"Uh, we never finished the decorations," I say. "Are you sure you need to go now?"

"Yes, I need to prepare dinner tonight. Do you mind if I take these?" Yuri asks, holding up the paint tablets.

"Yeah, sure," I say. "Let me help you pack up."

Sayori and I help pack the supplies and decorations into Yuri's bags before we see her off.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Yuri!" Sayori says cheerily. "Get home safe!"

"See you tomorrow!" I shout to Yuri as well.

Yuri simply waves her hand as she hurries home. As she leaves sight, I turn to Sayori.

"Jeez," I say, "who would have thought she has those issues?"

"Well, I was able to hide my problems," Sayori says, smiling at me. "It was probably way easier for her, because she's really smart."

"You're smart too," I argue, rubbing her hair. "Anyway, what do you want for dinner?"

"Ehehe~" Sayori chuckles a little before she pauses for a moment. "Umm... I'm kinda tired out. Let's just get fast food or something."

"Well, how about pizza?" I suggest. "We can order it on the way to pick it up."

"Mm... That sounds good." Sayori sighs, leaning her head on my shoulder.

I place an order for a large pizza at a local pizzeria, and Sayori and I start walking.

"It's going to be ready in 20 minutes," I say. "It's a 10 minute walk, so we'll have some time to hang out before it's ready."

"I don't feel like doing anything, though. I'm just really tired." Sayori's head leans further into my shoulder and she holds my arm in her hands.

"Well, we can sit in a booth at the pizza place so you can rest."

"Yeah, that sounds nice..."

We descend into another comfortable silence, with Sayori resting against me as we walk. It feels good that I can be here for her, and feeling her against me is honestly really comforting to me as well. Still, there are so many things I want to talk with her about. I suppose now isn't the best time given how tired she is, but I should at least bring up one of the easier topics.

"Hey, Sayori," I say, trying to break the silence as casually as possible.

"Hm?" Even though I don't look at her, I can tell that Sayori looks up at me, because of how her head moves against my arm.

"You're mom's coming home tomorrow, right?"

"Uh-huh. Why?"

"How are we going to tell her that we're a couple?"

"Oh..." Sayori goes silent before pressing her head against my shoulder harder. "Ugh... I don't know. I guess I could ask if we can have you over for dinner, so we could tell her then."

"Yeah, that makes sense. I wonder how she'll react." I start chuckling at the thoughts of Mrs. Saitō's possible reactions.

"I mean, she knows that we've been best friends since elementary school, so she'll probably freak out at first. It's kind of a big change, y'know?"

"Yeah," I say, taking my arm from her grip to put it around her. "But it's a good change."

"Mhm..."

Sayori pulls my arm further around her and puts her arm around me just as tightly. At this point, we're pretty much walking and hugging at the same time, which is rather warm and comfortable. It isn't long before the small pizzeria is in view.

"We're here," I say as I open the door.

Sayori flinches and squeaks, "Eep! Huh? What? D-Did I fall asleep?"

"I don't think so, because you were walking. Are you okay?" I look down at her and see bags under her eyes.

"I-I'm fine. I'm just really tired. What are we doing again?" Sayori glances around, realizing where we are.

"We're picking up pizza, but it won't be ready for a while. You can take a small nap." I lead Sayori over to a booth against the wall. "I'll go see how close the pizza is."

"Okay, come back soon~" Sayori gives me a small smile as I turn around.

The cashier says our order will be ready in a little over 10 minutes. When I turn back to Sayori, I see her looking at me, slouched sleepily over the table.

"Hey, get some sleep," I say as I return. "You could use some rest." I sit down next to her.

"I know," she yawns. "I was jusht waitin fer yo..." Her speech slurs as she leans back against me and drifts to sleep.

Sayori spreads her legs across the booth as she sleeps on my lap. She looks so peaceful as she sleeps. Looking down at her face as she sleeps, my heart flutters. She really is beautiful. I run my fingers through her hair with one hand as I take out my phone with my other to pass the time. But, after a few minutes, I hear a familiar high-pitched voice.

"Hey Anon, is that you?"

I turn around and see Natsuki walking towards my booth.

"Oh, hey Natsuki," I say, genuinely surprised that she's here. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm here to get pizza, dumb-" She cuts herself off as she walks next to my booth, and looks down.

Pretty quickly, I realize that she's looking at Sayori, whose hair I'm still running my fingers through. Natsuki opens her mouth in the way she does when she's about to raise her voice, but I'm quick to shush her.

"Shhh... She's sleeping..." I have my finger pressed firmly against my own lips as I whisper to her.

"What are you two doing?" Natsuki whispers back with a little bit of sarcasm. "Are you out on a _date_ or something?"

"Shut up. Are you here with anyone?"

"No," Natsuki replies, sitting across from me in the booth. "I'm just picking up an order, but it won't be ready for a few minutes."

"Do you live nearby?" I ask curiously. It would be pretty coincidental if Natsuki lives near Sayori and me. I don't remember ever seeing her around though, so I doubt it.

"No. My dad just really likes this pizza place, so I came all the way here to pick it up."

"Did you walk a long way? Wait- can you drive?"

"Yeah. I got my lisence last year."

"Wait... Natsuki, how old are you?"

"I'm 18," Natsuki says somewhat proudly. "I bet you're surprised, huh?"

I most certainly am surprised. She looks like a 16 year old at most, and a small one even then. I wonder what stunted her growth...

"I guess looks can be deceiving," I say, glancing down to see that Sayori is still asleep.

"You know, I'd punch you right now if you weren't across the table... Also if Sayori wasn't sleeping on you." She raises an eyebrow at me. "What's the deal with that, anyways?"

"I... guess I should explain the whole thing to you," I say. "I already told Yuri, anyway."

"Oh, I _need_ to hear this." Natsuki leans forward in anticipation.

_

 _(Notes: I lost pretty much all my motivation to write earlier this week, then I got sick and everything kinda snowballed. But once I got into my groove, it got pretty easy to keep writing. As always, feedback and input is appreciated, and I'll see you guys next rime!)_


	12. Sunday Night

_(Hey fellas! This is pretty much me thinking of ways to fill this chapter before MC and Sayori go to sleep. Anyway, here's some pizza time!)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story_**

_

I tell Natsuki about what's happened between Sayori and me. I tell her that we're dating, about Sayori's depression, and about the plan to visit a therapist tomorrow. I leave out what we found out about Yuri because I don't know her so well, and I don't think she'd like me to tell everyone about it. As I tell her, I see her face fall in thought.

"Woah," Natsuki sighs, scratching her head. "I didn't realize that she... is like that... Congrats on the whole relationship thing, though."

Natsuki smiles awkwardly before leaning forward to look down at Sayori. Normally, she would have made some kind of snarky comment about the fact that Sayori is my girlfriend now, but I can tell she's trying to be sensitive. It's actually a little off-putting that she's being so nice.

"I appreciate that you're trying to be nice," I say, "but I know you probably have some joke to make."

"Eh?" She looks up at me with a confused look on her face. "A joke about what?"

"About our relationship. C'mon, you gotta have _something._ "

"T-That would just be mean! Why would I joke about something like that?"

"You know I don't take any of your jokes seriously, right? You really don't have to hold back if you're worried about my feelings."

"W-Well... I guess it's just kind of a shame that she had to settle for someone like you..."

"Oh, no," I say sarcastically. "I'm devastated. I can see why you held that one back, that's a zinger."

"Shut up," Natsuki says, crossing her arms and looking away. "If this is the crap I get for trying to be nice, you can just forget about it from now on!"

"Spare me," I say as I turn on my phone to check the time. "Our pizza should be about ready about now. I'll go ask, I guess."

As I get up, I put my hand under Sayori's head and slowly lower her to the seat, trying not to wake her up. Unfortunately, I disturb her sleep.

"Wha?" She slightly opens her eyes and looks up at me. "Anon, why are you upside down?"

"Ah, sorry Sayori," I say quietly, patting her head gently. "I tried not to wake you up. I'm just going to check on our pizza."

"Ooh," Sayori grunts as she sits up. "I'm reeally hungry!"

"You're energetic," I say, laughing. "Did a 10 minute nap help that much?"

"Yeah!" she says, vigorously nodding her head. "Let's go get the pizza!"

Sayori suddenly stops as she hears Natsuki laughing at her from across the table. She looks over, widening her eyes as she realizes who's here.

"N-Natsuki?" she asks. "What are you doing here? When did you get here?"

"I just happened to order a pizza here," Natsuki says. "Actually, mine should be ready any minute, too. I'll go check now." She gets up and moves toward the cash register.

"Anooon," Sayori whines, turning to me as Natsuki walks away. "Why didn't you wake me up when she got here?"

"You were really tired earlier," I explain, "so I just let you sleep."

"Well..." Sayori twiddles her thumbs and glances toward Natsuki then back to me. "What did you guys talk about while I was out?"

"Well, you were asleep in my lap, so the first thing was the fact that we're a couple."

"Did you tell her about the other stuff?"

"Yeah, mostly. All I really said is that you have depression and we set up a therapy appointment."

"... What about Yuri's stuff?"

"No. I figured she wouldn't want me going around telling people about that."

Sayori nods her head, then says, "Let's go check on our pizza."

As we approach the counter, Natsuki turns toward us holding her pizza box. "I need to get going," she says. "I'll see you two at the festival tomorrow."

"Alright," I say. "Did you finish all the cupcakes?"

"Yeah. My dad worked a little late today, so I had time to finish before he got home. I ha-"

"Wait," Sayori interrupts. "Does your dad not let you bake when he's home or something?"

"Uh-" Natsuki's whole body visibly tenses up at Sayori's question. "T-That's not... It's... H-He just wanted the kitchen because he was cooking dinner."

"I thought you said he had you come get pizza," I say questioningly.

"W-Well..." Natsuki stutters. "He _was_ going to cook dinner, but... he was tired after work, so I came to grab him pizza instead. N-Nevermind, it's complicated. I'll see you tomorrow!"

Natsuki waves and hurriedly exits the building, leaving Sayori and me confused as to what just happened.

"Um.." Sayori breaks the silence. "Let's grab our pizza, Anon."

"Uh... Yeah, let's do that."

Our pizza is ready, so I pay and we sit back down at our booth to eat. We each take a piece out and take a bite. Sayori scoots closer to me until her waist contacts mine, then leans her head on my shoulder as she chews.

"Mm... It'sh good~," Sayori says through a full mouth, sighing contentedly.

"Yeah," I agree. "I don't remember it tasting this good. Then again, I don't really remember the last time I was here..."

"... Are you happy?" Sayori asks, lifting her head from my shoulder.

"Uh- What do you mean? Of course I am."

"Mm, that's good," Sayori says before taking another bite of her pizza.

"What about you?" I turn to her, asking, "How are you feeling right now?"

"I'm... glad that you're happy, I guess." She looks off in some random direction, placing her hand on her chin. "But I always feel a bit better when I'm with you."

"Well, I'm glad that I can make you feel better, but we can't be together every second. I want you to be happy for yourself."

Sayori sighs and takes the final bite of her piece of pizza. "I know, but... I _want_ to be together every second. I feel like I always need to be with you."

"... We can't sleep together tonight. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. Because my mom's coming home tomorrow morning."

"Are you gonna be fine?"

"Yes, I'll be fine, Anon. Stop worrying so much."

I hadn't thought of it before, but I wonder if Sayori really will be alright without me tonight. I know she was sleeping alone every night before Friday, but the way she came into my bedroom last night is making me worried.

I've finished my first slice of pizza now, so I grab another, Sayori doing so as well. We each eat a couple more pieces, simply enjoying each other's company. There are only 2 pieces left over, so we decide to just throw them away. Then, we go on our way home.

"Do you want to hang out a little bit, or are you too tired?" I ask, squeezing my arm around her shoulders.

"I can stay up," she yawns. "I want to spend some more time with you today."

"Me too. What do you want to do?"

"Eh, I don't know. Let's just watch TV or something at my house."

"Sounds good to me, as long as I get to be with you."

Sayori starts chuckling, "Ehehe~ Don't say things like that, Anon..."

"Why? It's the truth."

"It's... embarrassing."

Sayori looks away, but I see a blush on her cheeks before she does. I laugh and pat her shoulder a couple times before squeezing her a little closer to me.

I think it's a little funny that Sayori has been acting so differently since Friday. Aside from her depression, I mean. Even though we're a couple, I didn't expect her to act so awkward about it. After all, we feel the same way, and we've known each other since we were really little. I really feel more comfortable around her than anyone else. She might still be scared of worrying me too much, and that might be why she's acting weird. But, I'm going to be here for her whether she likes or not.

We reach Sayori's house, and I keep my arm around her as she opens the gate, then her door. We take our shoes off, then Sayori pulls me to the couch in her living room.

"Oof," Sayori grunts as she plops on the couch. "Ah, this couch is so comfy..."

"Hey, don't fall asleep yet," I say, sitting down next to her. "Let's see what's on TV."

Sayori grabs the remote from the end table and turns on the television. She starts flipping through channels before settling on some cooking show that I've seen some commercials for. After setting down the remote she leans against me and puts her arms around me.

"Ugh, whatever," she sighs. "I really don't care what we watch anyways."

"I've seen some ads for this show," I comment, putting my arm around her. "It doesn't look too bad."

"That's good, then..."

As we watch the show and enjoy sitting together, Sayori starts sleeping then jerks herself awake multiple times. Eventually, she starts shifting her position. Keeping her arms around me, she rotates her body and slides down, laying across my lap on her back. As she lays back, her eyes half closed and her lips slightly parted, her arms around me inadvertently slowly pull me down as well. I can feel my heart beating harder as we twist, my legs below hers and my face slowly lowering over hers. A sudden noise from a commercial on the TV snaps us both from our shared daze, and I realize that our faces are almost touching.

"Ah-" Sayori widens her eyes and removes her arms from me. "I-I'm so sorry, Anon!"

"Ah.. " I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and back my face away from hers. "No, it's fine. I don't mind..."

"Y-You d-d-don't?" Sayori's eyes dash toward the TV then back to me, as she clenches her hands. "Um, I... I-I don't feel that good... I think I sh-should go to b-bed..."

"Oh, alright then," I say, trying to stay calm, myself.

I pull Sayori up next to me, before she turns off the TV and unsteadily stands up. I follow her toward her bathroom. Before she goes in, I put my hand on her shoulder, turning her to face me.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," I whisper, although I kind of want to stay. "Good night."

"W-Wait..." Sayori grabs my hand as I turn to go. "Can you... stay, just for a bit? I don't know if I'll fall asleep if you go now..."

"Oh, sure. I can stay with you for a little bit."

"A-Alright. I'll brush my teeth then change, so you just wait out here."

"Okay, I'll stay here."

Sayori goes into her bathroom. I hear the water run for a couple seconds before shutting off, then I hear the hum of Sayori's electric toothbrush for a couple minutes. Then I hear the water again, and, after a couple more minutes, Sayori exits her bathroom. She shows me a small smile before heading into her bedroom and closing the door behind her. After a few more minutes she opens the door, wearing the same kind of pajamas as the last couple nights.

"Alright, I'm ready," she says, smiling.

"Did you set your alarm?"

"Yeah," she says, motioning toward her phone, which is charging next to her bed. "I'll be up on time, for once."

"That's good," I say, watching her lay down. "I'll be here tomorrow to walk to school with you, and I expect you to be waiting." I kneel down on the carpet next to her bed and grab her hand.

"I'll be waiting for you then. I'm gonna go to sleep now..." She squeezes my hand in hers and smiles widely at me.

"All right, good night. I love you, babe."

"Heh... Call me that again..."

"Babe?"

"Yeah..."

"Love you, babe. Good night."

"Hmm... Love you too... Babe..."

Sayori keeps hold of my hand for a while, but, eventually, her breathing slows down and her hand releases mine as she falls asleep. Getting up quietly, I tip-toe away as stealthily as possible. I then make my way to her front door, put on my shoes, and leave the house, quietly shutting the door behind me.

"Ah, jeez," I sigh as I get home. "What a day..."

Really, I'm not sure if half of the day was even real. From Sayori making my breakfast this morning, to Yuri's self-harm, to ending up meeting Natsuki at the pizzeria. Topping it all off is the way that Sayori almost kissed me! _On the lips!_ At the time it felt really awkward, but looking back, I wish the commercials hadn't come on and broken the moment...

I brush my teeth and change into a fresh shirt and underwear. Then, I set my alarm and fall into my bed. As I close my eyes, I can't help but worry about Sayori. I wonder if she'll sleep well. I wonder if she'll wake up in the middle of the night. I wonder if she'll have another nightmare... She once again completely fills my mind as I drift to sleep.

_

 _(Notes: This was a really fun chapter to write. I reeally wanted to have them kiss right then and there, but I've had a specific plan for their first lip-to-lip kiss for a while now. I hope I end up making it go how I want, but only time will tell. Anyway, the next chapter is the morning of the festival! Nothing can go wrong, right? Ehehe~ As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you guys next time!)_


	13. Monday, the Morning of the Festival

_(Note: Now, as I sit to write down this chapter, I can't help but feel excited. This chapter was the one of the first ones that I had come up with. Before I decided to include Sayori's mom, before I decided that I'd deal with Nastuki's and Yuri's problems, and even before I decided that MC and Sayori would make teriyaki shrimp, I had come up with most of this chapter. This was being planned for a month and a half. As you read, I want you to please remember that I love Sayori, and I love each and every one of you readers. I hope you'll all enjoy this chapter.)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not open Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

 _Cold. I'm surrounded by cold and the void. The all-capturing void that claws at each of our existences indefinitely. In front of me is a door, the only thing that's visible to me in this void. A familiar door, filled with happy feelings, happy memories, and happy thoughts. However, the only thing I feel, aside from the bitter, burning cold, is dread. Dread that pulls at my arm as I fight to reach the doorknob. Dread that, for better or worse, is trying to stop me. But, that dread isn't strong enough to overpower the stinging numbness that must be something along the lines of curiosity or anticipation. Taking a deep breath of the thin oxygen, freezing and burning my lungs, I gently open the door._

 _"Sayo—"_

 _I hear that voice, but it immediately seems immeasurably distant as I see a corpse. The world's most beautiful corpse, hanging limply from a rope tied to the ceiling fan. The strawberry hair, dull and disheveled; the blue eyes, seemingly approaching grey as they stare at the corner of the room; and the pale, bloodless flesh covered by a loosely hanging shirt and red shorts. Sayori, my childhood friend. My girlfriend. The most important person to me. The most fragile person I've ever known, with a heart too good for this world. A heart willing to destroy itself for the sake of others. A heart that deserves life more than any it would sacrifice itself for, one that must be protected. But, I didn't protect it._

 _I look down, averting my sight from the body, as I'm sure I'd rip apart from sorrow if I continued to look. Covering my shoes and the floor is a good amount of vomit, which I don't remember expelling. I see more drop from where I'm sure my own mouth is, but I'm numb to whatever taste, burn, or other feeling would normally be present. Suddenly, my knees buckle and the floor rushes toward me, until my eyes contact the carpet._

_

I flinch violently as I wake up, hearing a faint echo of a scream behind my blaring alarm. My body is covered in sweat, and I find myself subconsciously hyperventilating. I lay still in my bed, trying to regulate my breathing. Eventually, I roll over and turn off my alarm.

"Oh, God..." I sit up and press my hand to my forehead, only to feel the sweat on my brow. "What... What was that..?"

I take a moment to calm down, but my body won't stop shaking. The sweat makes my skin feel cold as my eyes stay frozen to the floor.

 _'A nightmare? It's been a few days since I had one, and I can't even remember the last time I had one that stuck after I woke up... Sayori is fine. It's just a bad dream... Sayori... I need to get ready, so I can pick up Sayori.'_

I get up and make my way to my bathroom, then take my shower. The water helps calm me a bit, and it feels good to get that cold sweat off. Then I change, eat breakfast, and brush my teeth. The only thing I need to bring today is my poem, so I slide it into a folder, which I put into a small backpack. Checking the clock, I see I'm just on time to leave.

 _'Yeah,_ _Sayori is fine,'_ I tell myself.

I text Sayori as I leave to let her know that I'm on my way, and I hurry to her house. The first thing I notice as I walk up to Sayori's house is the lack of any sign that her mom has returned. I'm a little disappointed because I'd have liked to see her before we leave, but I'll still see her later. I walk up and knock on the door.

After a couple minutes, I start getting worried. She hasn't come to the door, or made any indication that she's on her way. I check my phone and see that she hasn't viewed my message. Curious, I make my way to the side of the house where Sayori's bedroom window is. I freeze as I hear a faint beeping coming from her window, and realize that hey alarm is still going off. Then, I start running back to her door.

 _'Oh no,'_ I think as I open the door. _'There's no way she'd do that.'_

I throw down my backpack as I enter, but neglect to take off my shoes as I run.

"Sayori!" I shout as I run up the stairs.

I reach her door and knock, but when I hear the alarm, I open the door anyway.

"Sayo–...ri?" My shout turns into a question as I look for Sayori in her room.

But, she's nowhere. Not in her bed, not in her chair, not in her closet. I don't see her anywhere. I try to think of where she could be, or what could've happened, but the alarm is loud and distracting. As I move to turn it off, my eye is caught by the color red. Sitting against the wall, on the opposite side of her desk as her bedroom door, is Sayori. The red that caught my eye wasn't just her shorts, but a stain of blood running from the sleeve of her left arm down to the carpet. Her eyes are closed, and a small smile is on her lips. On the floor next to her, also covered in blood, is a pair of safety scissors. Forgetting the alarm completely, I run over to her.

"Sayori!" I shout as I make my way to her. I gently shake get shoulders, whispering, "Wake up Sayori, c'mon. Please, wake up."

Her eyes open halfway, and she looks up at me. Her eyes look dull, similarly to the nightmare still ingrained in my head. Her smile widens as she sees me.

"A-Anon..." she whispers, "I-I did it... I m-made it..."

"Sayori, what is this?" I ask, gently touching her bloody arm. "What did you do?"

"I-I made it..." she whispers again. "Y-You're here now..."

Sayori definitely isn't herself right now. Deciding this discussion isn't going anywhere, I give her a pat on the shoulder before I run out to retrieve medical supplies. As I return, I see Sayori standing over her phone, which has stopped beeping.

"Sayori," I say, grabbing her shoulder, "sit down, I need to clean your arm."

"M-My arm?" she inquires quietly as she turns to me.

Her smile is gone and she has a somewhat blank expression on her face, as if she's dead on her feet. She slowly looks down to check her arms. First the right one, then the left one, which is still dripping a small amount of blood onto her rug.

"Oh," Sayori sighs. "I forgot I did that. Oh well, it was worth it. I made it."

"Sayori, sit down," I say softly, putting some pressure on her shoulder.

"Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot."

Sayori sits down on the floor and I kneel down next to her, slowly rolling up her sleeve. There's a single wound, which isn't very long. It looks like she just stabbed her arm, rather than cutting at it. I grab a paper towel and start gently drying the blood.

"Does it hurt?" I look at Sayori's eyes, trying to find any hint of life behind them.

"I think so..." Sayori looks down at her arm as I clean. "It did when I did it."

"Why _did_ you do it?"

"I... My head was being mean to me..."

"What do you mean?"

"I had a bad dream... I don't really remember what it was, though. All I remember after that is thinking about how much trouble I am for you."

"Sayori, you're no–"

"Even if you say you have a good time, you would be doing something completely different if I didn't bother you. No matter what, it's always like that. I take too much of your time."

"Hey Sayori," I interrupt, "this is gonna hurt for a second."

"What wi–? Ah!"

I press some rubbing alcohol against Sayori's wound with a fresh paper towel, before reaching for the bandages.

"Alright, almost done," I say.

" T-Thanks..." Sayori sighs. She pauses before continuing, "Last night, I... was really selfish... Even if you don't mind, I shouldn't have acted the way I did. I shouldn't take up your time. I know it's too late now, though... So I started thinking that it would be best for me to just disappear, just get out of your life. I know it's best for you, but I also know, after everything you said to me... I know that you would hurt if I did something like that. I tried to think it over, but it started hurting my head. It hurt so much, I didn't know if I could make it til morning. Then I remembered what Yuri said about relieving stress. She was right, too. It hurt so much that I forgot all about the hurt in my head. Ehehe~"

"Hey, Sayori," I say, finishing wrapping her bandages. "Don't say that it'd be best for me if you disappear. Never say anything like that again."

"Why?" Sayori looks at me, still with a blank expression.

"Because it isn't true. My life wouldn't be worth living without you, Sayori."

Sayori looks down at the bandage. "It'll be hard to shower with this on..."

"Shower?"

"Well I can't go to the festival if I don't shower, right?"

"Sayori, you're not going to the festival."

"Of course I am. The entire reason I did this was to make it to morning, then go to the festival." She holds up her arm, which is still bleeding a little judging from the bandage.

"We won't be on time to present our poems at this point."

"I don't care," Sayori says, getting up and grabbing her uniform from her closet. "Don't you want to go?"

"I'd rather stay here with you."

"Well, I'm going, so you'll need to come too if you want to stay with me," Sayori states matter-of-factly. Then, she heads toward her bathroom. "I'll be right out."

As I hear the shower turn on, I sigh to myself. I take out my phone and text Monika to let her know that Sayori and I won't be there in time, then go to Sayori's living room and sit down on the couch, letting everything sink in. Honestly, I'm not so bothered by the fact that she cut her arm, at least not as bothered as I'd expect myself to be. Either that, or it's just completely overshadowed by the look she had on her face. The entire time I've known her, she always had that smile on her face. Of course it didn't feel good to see the sadness on her face over the past couple days, but today she didn't have anything there. If she weren't moving and talking, I wouldn't know if she was even alive... She like looked completely dead inside. We're going to see a psychologist later though, so it'll be fine in the end, right? Maybe I'm not worrying enough about her arm... Maybe... I should have called an ambulance when I got here. I suppose I treated it alright myself, and it wasn't life threatening, but...

I'm pulled out of my thoughts when I hear a car pull up outside of the house. I completely forgot that Sayori's mom was supposed to get here! I'm completely unprepared for this!

 _'What do I say? Should I tell her about Sayori's arm? Of course I should. But how should I? Oh well, I guess I'll improvise...'_

_

 _(Notes: Please don't hate me! I mean, I had to do something like this, right? At least I didn't make her actually die! Anyway, that's out of the way now. Time for healing! As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!)_


	14. Monday, the Morning of the Festival (2)

_(Ok, time to pull the next few chapters pretty much completely out of thin air, haha. Wish me luck!)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

Since I've known Sayori for so long and we used to hang out often, I'm pretty well aquainted with her mother. She's almost like a second mother to me, even. At least she was when I actually used to spend a lot of time with Sayori... I'm not sure how that'll change when she finds out about Sayori and I dating, though. She's known for having an abnormal interest in romance stories, so it'll be a unique reaction, no matter the case. I guess I don't need to worry about that for now though, since I assume we're still planning to tell her during dinner.

 _'Well, here goes nothing...'_ I think to myself, standing up from the couch as I hear the door open.

"Good morning, Mrs. Saitō," I say with a small bow as she walks in. "It's nice to see you."

Sayori takes after her mother in a few ways. One of those ways is their physical appearances. Their faces are remarkably similar, although Mrs. Saitō is obviously quite older. She's a little bit taller than her daughter, and is a bit bigger, too. I wouldn't say that she's fat, or even unhealthy, but she's definitely bigger than average. Her hair is the same strawberry color as Sayori's, but it's longer and straighter (probably because she actually combs it), running down to about the level of her upper ribs. Her hair parts down the middle, and she has a red hair clip on either side of her head so that it falls behind her ears.

"Oh, Anon!" Mrs. Saitō smiles at me. "What a nice surprise! What are you doing here?"

"Oh, well I came by to walk with Sayori to the festival. But, when I got here she..."

I find it harder to say than I thought. How can I tell her that her daughter stabbed her own arm? This will probably get really awkward on my end if I don't just say it though.

"Oh, did she oversleep?" Mrs. Saitō lifts her head as if she's listening for something, then sighs. "She's in the shower still? Well, you didn't have to stay behind for her this long."

"Y-Yeah, I did need to. I can't just leave her alone."

"Because of her depression?" Her expression suddenly becomes worried. "I was worrying a little about that, but it isn't that bad, right? She told me it's fine."

"I wasn't worried either, but..." I take a breath, steadying my nerves. "When I came in, I found her in her room and... She cut her arm with scissors."

"Huh?" Mrs. Saitō's face takes a second to register what I said before she becomes hysteric. "MY BABY HURT HERSELF?!"

"D-Don't panic," I say putting my hands up. "She's fine."

She grabs my shoulders and starts shaking me. "WHAT PART OF THIS IS FINE?"

"I already bandaged it up, and I don't think it's anything permanent," I say quickly, trying to get her arms off of my shoulders.

"YOU DON'T _THINK_ IT'S PERMANENT?!" Mrs. Saitō grips my shoulders harder and shakes me more. "WHAT IF SHE GETS A SCAR? WHAT IF SHE CAN'T USE SOME OF HER FINGERS? WHAT IF HER ARM IS DISFIGURED? HOW BAD IS IT? WHAT IF SHE NEVER GETS A BOY TO LIKE HER?!"

"Calm down! It's not that bad. Besides, I wouldn't be worried about issues with boys anyway."

"W-Well, I guess, but... Wait..." She lets go of my shoulders. "What do you mean by that?"

I tense at her question, and I think she can see it.

"Do you... like her like that?" She asks, eyes widening.

"I, uh..." I assume we're still holding that discussion over dinner. "Can we... not talk about that right now?"

"Oh... OH MY GOODNESS!" Mrs. Saitō puts her arms around me with immense force. "IT'S YOUNG LOOOVE!"

It doesn't take much to distract Mrs. Saitō from the apparent panic she was just in. I already knew that air-headedness is another trait that Sayori got from her mother, but she's being even more air-headed than usual. Even aside from that, I'm shocked that she's happy about this, considering Sayori is her daughter and everything. But, I have something else to be worrying about right now...

 _'Sh-She's suffocating me!'_ I cry in my head, struggling to get the words out of my mouth.

"P-Please... Can't... Breath..." I choke out, weakly trying to wrestle from her crushing grip.

"I'm sorry!" She quickly let's me go and waves her arms around in excitement.

"You're not... upset or anything?" I gasp, regaining my breath.

"Goodness, no! Why would I be?"

"I don't know. I guess I expected you to be more... protective of your daughter?"

"Well, my husband would be. But, to be honest," Mrs. Saitō leans down and whispers to me. "I've been hoping that you liked her!"

"R-Really?!" I gasp out. "Wh-Why?"

"Because, we've known you for like 15 years! You're practically part of the family already! Besides, I trust you more than any other guy she might bring home."

"Y-Yeah, I guess that makes sense," I say with thought.

"Plus, I kinda think of you as a son that I never had, so how can't I root for you?" Suddenly, her expression turns serious, and she starts muttering to herself. "But, if I think of you as a son and she's my daughter, wouldn't that make it wrong? But, whoever marries her would legally be a son-in-law, so I guess I could see it that way. But that's completely different, right? I mean, it really doesn't matter, since you're not really family, but how should I feel about this...?"

I chuckle and take a step back. I guess I should have seen something like this coming, considering she _is_ quite a shipper. She's been like that for as long as I remember, both for the TV shows she watches and sometimes in real life. I just didn't expect her to ship me with her own daughter. Through my own laughter and Mrs. Saitō's rapid muttering, I don't notice Sayori walking down the stairs.

"Wh-What is happening?"

I turn to see Sayori. Her uniform is slightly more neat than normal, and it looks like she combed her hair a little. Her bow is still a little crooked, though. Her skin seems to have some more color to it, though her eyes still look empty. As Mrs. Saitō turns to look at her daughter, her face loses its concentration and becomes panicked, like it was earlier.

"MY BABY!" she yells, running over to Sayori. "LET ME SEE YOUR ARM!"

"Why?" Sayori asks plainly.

"D-Didn't you hurt yourself?"

"Oh, yeah. But Anon fixed it for me." A small smile forms on her face.

"Did he do a good job?" Mrs. Saitō asks, pulling Sayori into a hug.

"Y-Yeah, he did great." Sayori's smile widens as she talks. "I'm sorry Mom, but we need to go. We're running behind already."

"Okay," Mrs. Saitō sighs as she releases her daughter. "Just don't get into any more trouble, or you'll have me worried sick."

"I'll try not to worry you anymore," Sayori says before turning to me. "Are you ready, Anon?"

"Yup," I say, turning to head to the door. "We're probably still on time to see a couple of the events."

"Mhmm, okay!" Sayori smiles at me.

"D-Do you two need lunch money for the festival? Or... anything?" Mrs. Saitō asks as I open the door.

"No. All of the food is free, because it's mostly provided by students," I explain.

"O-Okay. I guess I'll meet you two at the psychology office at 2:30?" she asks as we walk out.

"Yeah," I reply. "We'll text you if there's a change of plans."

"Alright! Have fun, you two!"

We wave and walk off together toward school. Sayori glances back a couple of times, then gives me a tight hug as soon as we're out of viewing distance from her house.

"Oh, Anon," she sighs. "... Thanks for helping with... my arm and everything..."

"Of course," I say, rubbing her head with my hand. "Oh, your bow is a little crooked. One second, let me just..."

We stop for a moment, and I grab the fabric on either end and rotate it, careful to avoid untying it. Once I straighten it, I give Sayori a tap on the nose.

"Boop," I say, laughing a little bit.

"Anon..." Sayori sighs, averting her eyes and blushing.

"Come on, let's keep walking." I take Sayori's hand in my own, and we resume the walk.

We're both silent for a moment, before Sayori asks, "What did you talk about with my mom?"

At her question, I chuckle. "I doubt you'd believe me."

"What is it? Just tell me."

"Alright. Well, I was telling her about your arm and she started freaking out. So, I tried to say something to reassure her. I forgot what it was, but she was able to guess that I like you more than as a friend."

"Did you... tell her that we're a couple?"

"No, but she pretty much said that I have her full support if I do ask you out."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah. She even told me that she has been shipping us together! Can you believe that?"

"M-My mom... said she ships us?!" Sayori looks at me in disbelief.

"Yeah. She said that I'm pretty much part of the family already, and that she'd trust me more than other boys."

"W-Well, I guess that makes sense. It's still surprising, though."

"Yeah. Do you still want to tell her during dinner?"

"Yuh-huh," Sayori nods her head and tightens her grip on me. "For now, let's just get the festival."

"Alright. Hopefully we can make it with enough time to catch our clubmates before they're done cleaning up."

"Ehehe~ We should probably hurry so that we can help them."

 _'Jeez, she's being so nonchalant after everything that happened this morning. I suppose she's right, and we should just focus on the festival for now, but I'm still super stressed by the entire situation.'_ I scratch my neck in thought.

"Anon? Ano~n?" Sayori snaps her fingers in front of my face. "Stop spacing out."

"Uh-? Oh!" I suddenly realize that we've already reached the school. "S-Sorry!"

"Were you thinking about this morning?"

"Y-Yeah, I guess so."

"Don't," she sighs. "Just keep going forward, you know?"

"U-Um, okay..." Looking at Sayori, I see her face is blank again, like this morning. "L-Let's go to the clubroom, then."

"Yeah."

We then start walking toward the stairs silently, to head to the literature club. I can already tell, this festival probably won't be as enjoyable for me as I'd like.

_

 _(Notes: Not gonna lie. I think this came out pretty well, considering I had no idea what to write as I went into this. Introducing: Sayori's mom, mega-shipper! I was debating whether to make Mrs. Saitō really over-protective or not, but in the end I decided that MC's long-time friendship with Sayori would make him somewhat bonded with her mom. Also, there's the airheaded nature which really blended well with it. I'm going to need some help, though! Ideas and the like for the festival. i.e., the kinds of food that'll be there, different events, etc. Input and feedback are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	15. Monday, The Festival Begins!

**_I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

As we approach the literature club, I notice that the door is closed, and the doorway curtain that Yuri and I made isn't up. Sayori approaches the door first, moving to open it, but hesitates for a moment.

"Hey," I whisper, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I just..." Sayori pauses and takes a deep breath, before turning to me with her usual big smile. "I'm all ready! Try to act like everything's normal, alright?" Before I can ask what she means, she energetically slides the door open. "Heeeyyy everyone!"

For a moment, I'm a bit shocked at Sayori's change in demeanor, but I pretty quickly realize that she's really always been like this. She must be pretty used to hiding everything by now... And now I understand what she meant by 'act like everything's normal'.

"Oh my God!" I hear Natsuki's high voice start yelling. "Where were you two?!"

I walk in and see Sayori touching her fingers together in her trademark embarrassed way. Some of the windows still have construction paper over them, and the candles are still set around the room.

"Ehehe~..." Sayori chuckles nervously. "Sorry, I overslept... A lot... At least we're here in time to help clean a little, right?"

"Well, I really don't care about that," Natsuki says, crossing her arms. "We had to wait for a long time before we actually started performing."

"Huh?" I speak up, "But I sent Monika a text message that we'd be late."

"Well," Monika sighs. "I kinda left my phone at home today..."

"H-How do you leave your phone at home?" I say, chuckling a little bit.

Monika scratches the back of her head. "I had a lot of club president-related business, so I had to get up extra early. I was just so tired that I forgot, aha..."

"Still though," Natsuki says, "I texted Sayori. She should have seen it."

"Ehehe..." Sayori laughs nervously again. "You must have texted me while I was in the shower. I... kinda also forgot my phone on the way out..."

"Y-You too?" I ask, looking at Sayori who just smiles sheepishly back at me. I then turn back to Natsuki, saying, "Well I had my phone."

"Well, I don't have your number," Natsuki says.

"Yuri does," I say, looking at the girl in question followed by Natsuki also looking at her.

"I-I just didn't think about it," Yuri explains hurriedly, her face reddening. "I was b-busy with decorating."

"Well, whatever the case," I say, looking at everyone, "I'm sorry if we worried any of you."

"Yeah, yeah," Sayori nods her head next to me.

"I wasn't worried..." Natsuki grumbles, looking off to the side.

"Yes you were," Monika says, trying to stifle a laugh. "You said–"

"HEY, SHUT UP ABOUT IT!" Natsuki yells at Monika, her face beet red.

"Aawwww!" Sayori runs over to Natsuki and gingerly puts her arms around her. "I always knew you cared!"

"Sh-Shut up! And get off of me!" Natsuki wrestles from Sayori's grip. As she does though, she hits Sayori's left forearm with her elbow.

"Ah!" Sayori gasps quietly, holding her arm as she takes a step back. "S-S-S-Sorry, I... I didn't realize you'd mind that much..."

"Uh, no, it's fine..." She looks at Sayori's arm for a second. "I'm sorry if I hurt your arm... I didn't mean to–"

"No, no! It's fine, I was just a little surprised."

Sayori lets go of her arm and holds it down in a certain way so that the other girls can't see. But I can see, from where I'm standing, that a little bit of blood has soaked through her sleeve. Natsuki looks like she wants to say something else, but drops whatever it is after a second.

"Let's just be glad that we got here in time to help clean up," I suggest. "We still have the rest of the festival to get to, right?"

"Y-Yeah," Sayori smiles quickly at me before turning back to the girls and putting her right fist up. "Let's clean!"

I walk over to one of the windows and start taking down the construction paper. As I crumple it up, I see that Yuri has also started taking the paper down from the windows. Sayori is collecting candles, Natsuki is picking up pamphlets, and Monika is going over some papers at the teacher's desk. I turn back to the windows and reach up to the higher ones, which have also been covered. It isn't long before we get all of the paper down, but Sayori and Natsuki have each finished already.

"Finally," Natsuki scoffs. "You guys took your time getting done. I could've done that _waaay_ faster!"

"You can't even reach the higher windows," Sayori says brightly, holding her arms behind her. "Ehehe~"

"Y-YOU!" Natsuki's face reddens in anger. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! I'M GOING TO HIT YOU SO HARD!"

Natsuki raises her fist and starts walking toward Sayori. Sayori stops laughing and starts screaming as she turns and starts running.

"N-Natsuki," Yuri stammers, watching the two run back and forth across the room. "I-I think you're overreacting..."

"No way!" Natsuki yells, not stopping her chase. "First she's late, and then she insults me? She's not getting away with that!"

"Y-You're just so cute that I can't help teasing yooouuu!" Sayori whines as Natsuki slowly closes in.

"I AM NOT CUTE!"

"Monikaaa!" Sayori whines, running up to Monika at the front of the room. "Make Natsuki stooop!"

"Sayori," Monika says, obviously holding back a chuckle, "I'm not sure this is under my control."

"Eeehh?" Sayori whines, before running over to me when Natsuki gets close to her. "Anooon, help me!"

"Well, what do you want me to do?" I ask as she hides behind my back.

"Anything!"

"Alright. Hey Natsuki," I say, turning to the pursuer. "Don't you dare touch my girlfriend."

Natsuki stops in her tracks and her face goes flat. The entire room goes quiet for a few seconds. I don't know if they don't know how to respond or if they're just that shocked by what I said, but this silence is _really_ awkward.

"A-Anon!" Sayori finally shrieks, gripping the back of my shirt.

"OH MY GOD!" Natsuki screams, doubling over in laughter. "TH-THAT WAS... SO... GREAT!"

Yuri and Monika also chuckle at us from the sides.

"Ano~n, why did you say thaaat?" Sayori whines, shaking me. "That's _super_ embarrassing!"

"I... I don't know, Sayori," Natsuki wheezes, recovering from the laughter. "I... think that was... really cute..."

"Aww, that means a lot coming from you," Sayori says earnestly, still gripping my back.

"I AM NOT CUTE!" Natsuki yells, raising her fist again.

"Hey, you aren't touching her," I say, holding a hand up at Natsuki.

"Oh, I know," Natsuki says darkly with a mischievous grin. "I'm not gonna touch your girlfriend, _lover boy_."

Natsuki, to my surprise, reels back her arm before launching it into my left arm as hard as she can. The dull thud and stinging pain reverberate through my body and the shock hits my brain.

"OOOOWWW!" I scream at the top of my lungs. I'm pretty sure that the student body could hear that all the way from the main courtyard over the noise made by the festival.

I unconsciously start pacing around the room, swinging my arm around like a chicken and muttering curses to myself. I'm used to Natsuki's abuse by now, but that was... unlike anything she's ever done to me before.

"Natsuki! Stop hitting my boyfriend!" I hear Sayori yell.

From the sound of her voice, Sayori is right behind me. She must have followed me when I started pacing the room, but I'm not really concerned about her for the time being. It's just... my arm...

"Hey Anon," Sayori says softly from behind me. "A-Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just..." I exhale and gingerly touch my throbbing arm. "Give me a minute."

"A-Ah, okay..."

Sayori retreats to the other girls, who I see are scolding Natsuki for punching me. I sit down at a desk and lay my forehead on it, clenching my hands into fists in an attempt to relieve some pain somehow. I sit there for a few minutes, focusing just on my breathing, before I decide that I'm alright enough to get up. When I left my head, I look up to see a familiar set of bright blue eyes looking at me with concern.

"I-Is your arm okay?" Sayori inquires softly.

"Yeah," I say, sitting up and pulling my injured arm into a stretch. "It's gonna bruise really badly though."

"H-Hey, Anon..." I see Natsuki standing next to the desk, twiddling her thumbs. "I'm... sorry for hitting you so hard."

"Oh don't worry, it's fine," I say, waving her off. "I just need a replacement arm, and I'll be fine."

"You're such a baby," Natsuki sighs, her face as pink as her hair. "But, I really didn't mean to got you that hard. I just got caught up in my excitement, I guess."

"I appreciate the apology. I'll be fine, so worry about me."

"I'm not worried!" Natsuki raises her voice, before stopping herself and lowering her volume. "Well, I'm going to go look around the festival. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"I-I'm going, too," Yuri says. "I hope your arm feels better, Anon."

She gives me a warm smile before hurrying out after Natsuki. That just leaves me alone with Monika and Sayori, and a silence that nobody wants to be the first to break. Monika shuffles through some papers at the front of the room, while Sayori gently caresses my arm, trying her best to soothe my pain. But, there is one thing on my mind...

"Hey Monika," I say, breaking the silence. "Did we get anyone to sign up for the club?"

"Actually," Monika says, starting to smile. "there were three people who signed up!"

_

 _(Notes: Ah, new members confirmed! Any ideas for names or personalities will be considered! Also, Natsuki doesn't hate MC or anything, she just got over-excited._ _As always, feedback_ _and input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	16. Monday, Just Look At Me

_(Notes: A recent review from One Eyed Demon has made me realize that I should probably clear something up. I am ABSOLUTELY making this up as I go. There were maybe 3 or 4 story points that I had ready before I started writing this, and the rest has been improvisational. Regarding character interactions, I won't really get them to be 100% realistic, because I am not a people person. I'm just going with the flow of what I've set for myself and am having fun with it._

 _Anyway, I'm happy to see some ideas from you guys_ _! As for the new members, I am borrowing from_ _eminutemen18's comment a bit for one of the characters. I'm really mixing a bit of his comment with some of my own ideas because I knew that I needed some reason for him to want into the club. He won't really be the same character in the end, BUT he will probably be my favorite of the three to write. I'm also taking from the suggestion of a guest commenter, so that's also cool. Then, the other one will be OC from me. Now, some more festival!)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

As Monika said, there are 3 names written on the sign-up sheet. I pick it up to examine the names on the sheet from a good angle. It reads:

~

 _Please sign here if you are interested in joining our literature club! Meetings are every day after school in room 326._

 _Sashi_

 _Kaitaro_

 _Yashiro_

~

I don't recognize the names of Sashi or Kaitaro, but I do know Yashiro. He's not the type of person you would expect to see in a literature club. In fact I'm pretty sure that he's already in the anime club, although he wouldn't really fit in there, either.

I've known him since Secondary School, and he's pretty much his own paradox. He's a big anime fan, like me. His entire personality would make you assume that he gets bullied, if it weren't for the fact that he's also a jock. He works out religiously, and was in wrestling for some time before getting kicked out for "behaving excessively violently". Aside from his otaku and jock sides, he's also very indecent. He has a habit of foul language, and is constantly rude. He's the kind of guy that nobody likes, but nobody wants to get on the bad side of. I have no idea how I get along with him at all. On top of all that, he's a pervert. Now that I think about it, that's probably why he joined the club.

Not that he's the scum of the Earth or anything. In fact, he's really kind if you get to know him. But if he's in this club, surrounded by attractive girls... It's inevitable that I'll have to act as a chaperone for him.

"Monika, did you mention that Sayori and I are in the club?" I ask, hoping that Yashiro had some reason to join other than the girls.

"Well, I mentioned that there were 2 more members," she answers, stacking some piles of paper together. "I didn't say your names though. Why?"

"Well, I know one of these people."

"Eh? Who? Who?" Sayori asks, tugging my sleeve.

"Yashiro," I sigh, handing her the the paper.

"Y-Yashiro?" she stammers, looking at the list. "W-Why would he want to join... this...?"

Sayori looks up at me, confused, before looking at Monika.

"He seemed pretty nice," Monika comments, smiling.

"H-He..." Sayori's cheeks redden and her expression darkens as she comes to a realization. "He is disgusting."

"What do you mean?" Monika asks, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Don't worry about it," I say, holding a hand up. "I'll have a talk with him, so hopefully you won't have to find out about it at all."

"About what?" Monika asks again.

 _"Are you really going to try and hide his issues?"_ Sayori whispers into my ear. _"He's a pig."_

 _"I'm planning on it,"_ I whisper back. _"C'mon, he's not that bad after getting to know him, right?"_

 _"I can't condone his habits."_

 _"That's why I'm going to try to talk to him about it."_

"Uh, guys?" Monika snaps us from our conversation. "He really didn't seem too bad, so I'm sure you're worried over nothing."

"We'll see," Sayori sighs before moving around to hold my arm that's still hurting from Natsuki's punch.

"Well, I have to report to the office before I can look around. I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." Monika smiles and turns to leave, but stops and turns back around. "You don't need to bring poems for tomorrow, since we're expecting the new members. I'll see you then!" She waves and leaves the room.

As soon as Monika closes the classroom door, Sayori wraps her arms all the way around me and buries her face in my chest, starting to put all of her weight on me. A little surprised by the sudden weight, I take a step back, tripping and accidentally landing in one of the class chairs. Sayori keeps hanging from me as I sit up in the chair.

"How are you feeling?" I ask, brushing her hair with my fingers.

"I... I'm feeling okay..." She sighs into my torso. "I always feel better around you. It's just tiring to act like that. And your arm... I'm sorry, that was my fault..."

"What are you talking about? I'm the one who stepped in between that."

"But... I caused it all to happen in the first place..."

"I wouldn't have gotten involved if I didn't want to." I push Sayori up from myself and dry some tears from her eyes. "I'm more worried about _your_ arm. Does it hurt?"

"A little bit," Sayori sighs as she pulls at her bled-through sleeve. "It hurt when Natsuki hit it, but it's feeling a bit better now."

"I think we should see the nurse," I say, standing up and taking her hand "I don't have any bandages with me."

"It's fine. It stopped bleeding, anyways."

"We should at least change out the bandage for a new one. This one's probably too bloody now."

"F-Fine," Sayori concedes, pouting a little, while I smile and take her to the nurse's office.

_

I can't help but smile as I hear Sayori's stomach grumble while on our way towards the main portion of the festival.

"Oh, that's right," I say, squeezing her hand in mine. "You didn't have time to eat breakfast, did you?"

"No... I usually don't eat breakfast anyways..." Sayori sighs and looks off at the wall of the hallway.

The nurse had been nice enough not to ask any questions about Sayori's injury. She cleaned the wound and rebandaged it in a more professional fashion than I had and, thankfully, she said it isn't a bad injury and it'll heal on its own. But, since leaving the nurse's office, Sayori has had that look in her eyes again. That empty, dead look that makes it seem like she just doesn't care anymore. As she looks away at the wall, it just hurts to know that she isn't happy right now.

"Hey, Sayori," I whisper. When she doesn't respond, I let her hand go and put my arm around her, tapping her shoulder and whispering louder, "Sayori."

Sayori looks down at my hand on her shoulder first, before turning to look at my face. "What is it?" She asks plainly.

"Just... keep looking at me," I sigh.

"Wh-Why?"

"I just... I want you to keep your eyes on me. I'll watch where we're going," I say, squeezing her shoulder.

"A-Alright..."

For a moment, I can see something flicker behind her eyes in a small shimmer as she looks up into my own eyes. I only look at her for a second more, before looking forward again. I guide her forward with my arm around her, and we make it to the door out to the main courtyard.

Of course, plenty of clubs and classes are making use of their classrooms for their festival events, however the courtyard is filled with stands and the guests who are perusing them. The sights and sounds of the festival, mixed with the smells of at least ten nearby food stalls, cause a smile to form on my face. Of course, I can't forget the girl that's clinging to me when I'm thinking about what's making me happy, even though I'm worried for her. I'm sure she'd be glad to get some food, so I start looking for something to eat that would interest her. There is a club serving soup, a homeroom serving sandwiches and salads, another homeroom that has pizza, some students that brought an abundance of sushi, and even a group that was apparently serving breakfast items, although they're already packing up. I told Mrs. Saitō that the food is free, but that was a lie. I want this to be my treat to Sayori. I look down to ask her what to eat, but am met with a sight that almost makes my heart stop.

Sayori is gripping the side of my blazer and staring up at me with wide, glistening eyes and a small blush. Her expression is dazed, as if she's lost in a daydream, but there is a brightness in her eyes that I haven't seen in... Actually, I've never seen her look this way. I see curiosity, interest, concentration, and an abundance of life behind her bright eyes that makes my heart clench as I stare back down at her. _She is so damn cute._

"H-Hey, Sayori," I finally say, feeling my face get red.

"A-Anon..?" Sayori whispers, not moving her expression.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Ano..." Sayori whispers again, trailing off as she looks over my face.

"Sayori," I say again, waving my free hand in front of her face.

"Wh-Wha?" Sayori snaps out of her daydream and looks around before turning back to me. "S-Sorry, I spaced out... Wh-what is it, Anon?"

"What do you feel like eating?"

"Erm..." Sayori glances around the room, eyeing the different food items available for us. "How about... Some sandwiches?"

"That sounds good to me."

"Wait... I kinda feel like sushi, actually..."

"Just pick whatever you want. Besides, we can always get more than one thing." I squeeze her a little bit in my arm.

"I'll go with..." Sayori glances between the two once again. "Sushi!"

"Alright," I laugh, pulling Sayori with me towards the table that's selling sushi rolls.

_

 _(Notes: We are finally in the festival! I hope I won't disappoint with the new members, especially since I'm changing some of the suggestions, but I really do appreciate all of your guys' comments! Anyway, I want this to pick up some speed going toward the psychologist appointment. It's almost time to get there! As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	17. Monday, The Festival

_(Notes: Going forward, I'm definitely writing for another week of the club (and the fact that I'm still in the middle of day 4 of this fic is terrifying). So anyway, I decided to just finish up the festival in this one chapter, so it'll be extra long! I hope you guys enjoy!)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the_** ** _characters portrayed in this story._**

_

Sayori hums as she finishes her sushi, and leans back into me as we walk around. I look around the festival. We have a few good hours before the therapy, so we should probably try to have as much fun as we can here. There's also the issue of Yashiro, but I can just talk to him tomorrow if I don't happen to bump into him today.

"Hey Sayori," I say down to the girl who has resumed looking at my face, "what do you want to do now?"

"I don't know..." She frowns in thought, before smiling again, "Now let's get sandwiches!"

"Already?" I say, laughing. "Well, I guess you didn't eat this morning. But, how about after that?"

"I heard the first-year classes are putting on a live performance. It should be in about 10 minutes."

"What'll they be performing?"

"I don't know... It's a play, I think."

"Well, let's see what it is after getting you a sandwich."

"Ehehe~ Okay!" Sayori cheers, smiling up to me.

We approach the table and I pay for a sandwich, before handing it to Sayori. She leans her head down to bite it, before looking back up at me as she chews. She continues eating like that, in an attempt to look away from me as little as possible, until we reach the performance theater, where there's a small line of people waiting to be let in. According to a poster on the wall, it's an original play written by a few drama club members called "Horizon Behind the Sunset."

"'A tragic tale of love and loss,' huh?" I mutter, reading the poster. "Hey Sayori, are you sure you want to see this?"

"No, not if you don't want to." She glances at the poster before looking back up at me. "What do you think we should do?"

"How about we look at the athletics outside? The track teams are doing some events, and we can look at some of the other clubs and stuff on the way out there, too."

"That sounds good to me," Sayori says, smiling and holding me closer.

On the way to the viewing stands overseeing the athletic fields, we pass by a homeroom that has a small carnival-esque stall set up. It's a simple "knock over the bottles" game, and the prizes are small stuffed animals. It's pretty easy, and it's priced so that the homeroom doesn't make or lose much money. It's all just for fun. I knock over the bottles with my first throw, and hand the small pig that I won to Sayori as we continue walking.

"It's so fluffy and tiny and cute," Sayori giggles, holding the pig up for me to see. "I love it! Thanks so much, Anon!"

"It's another stuffed animal to add to your collection," I say, chuckling a little bit.

"This isn't just another plushie, though! It's special, because it's a gift from you!" Sayori holds the pig against her in a tight hug, and leans her head on my shoulder. She sighs, and whispers up to me, "I could fall asleep right now..."

"Please, at least wait until we're not walking anymore."

"I know," she sighs, and I feel her move her head to look up at me again.

As we hold each other and walk, I can feel a few pairs of eyes on us. From what I can tell, there are a few classmates that we've known since before high school that notice us acting differently with each other. But, I don't really care if they know. This is just the way it is now. We make our way out to the field, and climb up the bleachers to the very back, where we sit down with our arms around each other. On the inner field there's a shot put competition, while there's a relay race going around the track.

"H-Hey, Anon," Sayori says quietly, "Do you mind if I rest for a little bit?"

"Go ahead," I whisper, pulling her closer to me. "You had a pretty tiring morning, right?"

"Y-Yeah... Thank you..."

Sayori leans her head against my shoulder, and the top of her head rests against the side of my cheek. I tighten my grip on her slightly, and feel her do the same momentarily before she dozes off, holding the pig in her other hand.

The events on display aren't anything special. The inner field is used successively for shot put, pole vault, high jump, and a few other events, while the track is used for different relay races, sprints, and hurdle jumping. It's pretty boring, but I feel like I can sit through just about anything if I have Sayori with me like this. There are a couple times that I almost fall asleep alongside her, but I'm able to sit there until Sayori eventually wakes up.

"H-Hey, Anon..?" I hear Sayori mumble groggily.

"Oh, are you awake?" I say, leaning my head lightly against hers. "How did you sleep?"

"Good... How long was I out?"

"Psshh," I exhale, looking down at my phone. "About an hour and a half."

"Y-You waited that long?"

"Yeah. It's just nice to be with you, y'know?"

"I still feel bad for making you wait, though."

"Well, we still have about an hour left. How about you make it up to me?"

Sayori looks up at me with her bright blue eyes. "How?"

"By not making me wait anymore," I say, laughing. "C'mon, let's go."

"Right!" Sayori beams and nods her head as we stand up and walk down the bleachers.

"I overheard some people say that there's a café in room 203," I say. "We could go there for lunch."

"Ooh, that sounds good!" Sayori exclaims excitedly. "I hope their coffee is good!"

"It wouldn't be much of a café if it isn't."

"Yeah, I guess. So, it better be good! Ehehe~" Sayori fails to feign anger at the thought of bad coffee.

I look down to check on her, and she's still looking up at me, smiling brightly and holding her little pig in the arm that isn't holding me. I can't help but smile at her adorableness, and lean down to plant a small kiss on her cheek. I even considered going for her lips, but I want our first real kiss to be... special, I guess. Her face instantly flushes and she darts it down, burying it in my shoulder.

"Ano~on," she groans, gripping me more tightly in her arm. "Th-That's soo embarrassing!"

"Yeah, I know," I whisper down next to her ear. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself."

"I... It's fine..." Sayori sighs, slowly lifting her blushing face from my shoulder.

"Calm down, I've kissed you before, right?"

"B-But, not in public!" Sayori whispers urgently, glancing around at the other students.

"Calm down about it," I sigh, looking around as well. "It doesn't look like anyone noticed. And if they did, then they don't care. Besides, we're already at the café."

We walk into room 203, which has a sign labeled "Café!" in front of it. Desks are arranged to form about 7 or 8 tables around the room, and people are walking around taking orders. It isn't too busy, so all of the students in the room turn to look at us walking in, making me instantly realize how stupid it was to come here; _this class is in our grade!_

I feel Sayori's grip tighten a little bit as she also realizes who is in the room. She is friends with some of them and, of course, I'm also acquainted with those students, so I'm sure it's a shock for them to see Sayori and I holding each other like this. The closest student waitress to us is one that I don't recognize, and she walks up to us, unaware of the situation between Sayori and I and her classmates. She has short dark hair, a pair of square glasses, and is a little bit shorter than Sayori, though not by much.

"Hello!" She says enthusiastically. "Welcome to our café! We have some seating available over–"

She is cut off as every single girl in the room that knows Sayori (which is about 10) runs over to us screaming.

"Oh my goodness!" one girl named Katari squeals as she reaches us.

"Are you two dating?!" another, named Juiyo, exclaims, putting a hand on each of our shoulders.

"You two are so cuuute!" Another voice calls out, but I don't know who it is due to the current crowd around us.

Sayori let's me go and waves her arms at her girls around us, pleading, "Guys! Please, calm down!"

But, at this point, the girls are mostly talking amongst themselves about what they think about us.

"I never would have guessed!"

"Really? I saw that coming a mile away!"

"They really make a good couple, huh?"

"Eh, she could do better."

 _Ouch._

"Um, excuse me?" The girl that I don't know taps my shoulder. "I can seat you two now, if you'd like."

"Um, yes, that would be great. Thanks," I say, smiling and pulling Sayori along with me after the girl.

"I take it they're your friends?" she asks cordially as she hands us some professional-looking menus.

"Yeah," Sayori sighs, laughing and leaning on me. "Thanks for getting us out of there, though."

"Ufufu, no problem!" The girl laughs before pointing to a name tag on her shirt. "I'm your waitress, Sashi, so don't hesitate to ask me for anything! Can I get you anything to drink to start?"

 _Sashi... That sounds familiar. Where have I heard that..?_

"I'll just have a coffee," Sayori says.

"Y-Yeah, me too."

"Eh? I thought you didn't like coffee," Sayori says, poking my cheek.

"Well, I like to have it every now and then..." I turn to Sashi. "Hey Sashi, your name sounds really familiar."

"Yeah, now that you mention it," Sayori says, "I'm pretty certain I heard that name somewhere recently."

"Oh? Really?" Sashi blinks a couple times. "I wonder why... Well, maybe you heard my name from those girls." She gestures to the group of girls who have realized that Sayori and I slipped away.

"No, I don't think they've ever mentioned you," Sayori says innocently.

"Eeeeehhhh???" Sashi let's out a long, disappointed groan.

"Besides," I say, trying to distract Sashi from her disappointment, "that wouldn't explain why I know your name. I don't really hang out with them..."

I glance at her name tag, seeing how it's spelled. Honestly, it's more familiar in writing than it is verbally.

 _'I know where I've seen that name!'_ I suddenly realize.

"Sashi, did you visit the literature club this morning?"

"Oh? Yes, I did." She looks at me, seeming confused.

"Oh yeah! Your name was on the sign-up sheet!" Sayori exclaims, prompting the group of girls we just escaped to look in our direction.

"I don't remember seeing you two there..."

"Actually, we're already party of the club. We were just late today, ehehe~" Sayori giggles bashfully.

"Eh? Oh yeah, Monika said something about–"

Sashi is once again cut off as the other girls surround our table. This time though, they're much less loud and obnoxious.

"S-Sorry if we scared you off, Sayori," one girl named Hamara says apologetically.

"Yeah, yeah! We're just really curious!" Juiyo chuckles. "How long has this been going on?"

"Yeah, when did you guys start dating?" another girl, an American immigrant who Sayori befriended in secondary school named Amanda, asks quickly.

"U-Uh-Umm... I-I don't... Wh-Wha-Why..." Sayori stutters, clearly unable to function under these conditions.

"It was Friday," I say finally, prompting them all to simultaneously shift their eyes toward me.

"How did it happen?!" Katari asks hurriedly, clearly happy to get some kind of response. "Was it super romantic?"

"N-No..."

"Give us the details!

"No."

"Why not??"

"Because it's personal stuff!"

"Sayori!" Katari exclaims, turning to my girlfriend, who's actually shaking even though I have my arm around her. "Can't you tell us anything?"

Sayori stays silent for a few seconds, before twisting herself and shoving her face into my chest, laying across her own chair on her side. She doesn't say anything, but I hear (and feel) a long sigh leave her mouth, muffled by my torso.

"THAT'S CUTE!" Amanda squeals.

"Do you mind leaving her alone for a bit?" I request, chuckling a little nervously. "The attention is a bit much for her."

"Eh? But she's our friend!" Hamara complains. "We wanna spend time with her and stuff!"

"Well, I don't care if you just hang out," I explain, "but don't make such a big deal out of this." I point between myself and Sayori, who is still holding herself to me.

"Seriously, girls!" Sashi exclaims, re-entering the conversation holding 2 cups of coffee. "You're all suffocating her! Let the poor girl breathe!" She sets down the cups next to some cream and sugar.

"Eh? And what would _you_ know about relationships, Sashi?" Juiyo says sarcastically.

"Enough," Sashi sighs. "I've been with my fair share of boys."

A collective gasp escapes the girls.

"Really? Good for you, Sashi! I wouldn't have... expected that from you!" Amanda says, obviously still struggling to find her words even though she's lived here for at least 5 years.

"Eeeeehhh??? And why not?!" Sashi sounds almost angry.

Hamara starts waving her hands, stuttering, "Y-You just s-s-seem s-so..."

"Plain," Juiyo finishes for her bluntly.

"HEY, I'M NOT JUST SOME DAMN BACKGROUND CHARACTER!" Sashi yells before quieting down, embarrassed. "But really, leave them alone for now."

"Well, why are you hanging around them, Sashi?" Katari asks.

"I'm _trying_ to take their order. We're trying to run a café, aren't we?"

The collective of girls stares at her for a moment before exploding in a cacophony of "I totally forgot!" and "We have customers to take care of!" and "I'll go prepare some food!" before dispersing in several directions.

They were exaggerating just a little bit, since the rest of the class was able to hold down the fort while the girls were concerned with us, but I'm glad they're finally gone either way.

"Ermm, do you two need some more time?" Sashi asks with a smile.

"Y-Yeah, thanks Sashi." I smile and she turns to leave.

Sayori slowly raises her head from me and looks around. "A-Are they gone?"

"Yeah, Sashi got them to leave," I say, patting her head.

"H-Hey, stop that Anooon! I'm not a dog!" Sayori whines as I continue to rub her head.

"Haha, sorry," I laugh, scratching the back of my neck after removing my hand from her hair. "You're just too cute sometimes."

"S-Stop that," she mumbles, turning away to hide a blush.

"Alright, fine," I say, moving us back to our original positions. "We should figure out what to order."

"Okay"

We each look over the menus while mixing our preferred amount of cream and sugar into our coffee. They don't have much to choose from, since they're not a real café, but the few sandwiches they have really do sound good.

"I think I'll have the egg and cheese sandwich," Sayori mumbles quietly, before turning to look at me. "What about you?"

"Ham and cheese for me."

I glance down and study her face. Her eyes don't look like they did this morning, thank goodness, but she does look really tired.

"Heya!" Sashi jumps over to our table, smiling. "Are you two ready?"

"Y-Yes, we are," I say, looking away from Sayori at Sashi. "I'll have a ham and cheese sandwich."

"I'll have an egg and cheese sandwich," Sayori says, looking down at the table. "H-Hey Sashi, thanks for... calming them down."

"They're not calm, they just have other things to worry about right now." Sashi shoots a some glares around at the girls. "But, uh, sure thing. We _are_ club mates now, right?"

The three of us all laugh, and Sashi hurries back to relay our order.

"How are you doing?" I whisper down to Sayori.

"I'm a little tired out," She whispers back. "I know I just woke up, but I feel like I can fall back asleep right now."

I scoot my chair a couple inches closer to her and put my arm around her.

"Maybe some coffee will wake you up."

"Oh yeah! I forgot it was there for a second, ehehe~" Sayori laughs, picking up her cup. As she sips from it, she lets out a small squeak. "It's so goood!"

I also take a sip from mine. Even though I have it heavily diluted by cream and sugar, the taste that I can get isn't bad. If I liked coffee, I'm sure this would be really good.

"Yeah, it's not bad," I say.

"Ehehe~, that's impressive, considering you don't like coffee."

"Yeah, I didn't expect this."

I continue to hold Sayori in my arm as we each drink the coffee for another few minutes, before Sashi returns with our sandwiches.

"Here you are," she says brightly, placing two plates in front of us. "I hope you two enjoy them!"

"Ooh! It looks good!" Sayori exclaims, seemingly already recovered from her drowsiness.

"Yeah," I agree. "Thanks for waiting on us, Sashi!"

"Huhu, of course!" Sashi says with a smile. "I'll leave you guys alone, since I think you've had enough attention for today. But, I'll be seeing you tomorrow at the literature club, I guess!"

"We'll see you there!" I say.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow!" Sayori says, beaming.

Sashi waves and runs off to get to the next waiting customer.

"She seems nice," Sayori hums. "She'll fit in great with the club!"

"Yeah," I agree. "Well, let's eat! It looks really good."

"Mmhm!" She nods her head before lifting her sandwich to her mouth and taking a bite. "Hmm... Mm! Oh, thish ish sho gooood!"

I also take a bite of mine. It's honestly just an average ham and cheese sandwich, but it is good. The ham and cheese both taste good, and the bread is fresh.

"Mm," I nod my head, "this is pretty good."

"Just pretty good? This one is suuuuper great!" Sayori looks up at me. "Do you... want a bite of mine?"

"Eh? Why?"

"Well... If mine is better than yours, then... I want you to have a great time, so..."

"Sayori, I'm sure yours isn't that much better. I'm probably just less enthusiastic about it."

"W-Well, just to make sure..." Sayori presses her index fingers together in her trademark way. "C-Could I take a bite... out of yours?"

"Uh... I guess so, if it'll make you feel better about it."

I lift my sandwich and hold it up to Sayori. She hesitates for a moment before leaning forward and taking a bite out of it. She sits back and chews silently, before furrowing her eyebrows.

"This isn't as good as mine at all!" She frowns and glances towards the students making the food. "Those guys... Anon, here... You have to have some of mine!"

"Ah, no... That's fine, Sayori."

"No, it's not! You're taking a bite of mine."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes you are!"

"No."

"Do it!"

Sayori inches her own sandwich towards me each time she talks, until it's already practically in my mouth.

"Fine, I'll take a bite! _ONE_ bite," I concede reluctantly.

"Okay!" Sayori smiles while holding up hey sandwich. "Now, say 'Aaaaahh!'"

I'm a little put off by Sayori's insistence on feeding me directly, but I comply and open my mouth. Sayori chuckles and smiles widely as she pushes a good-sized chunk of sandwich into my mouth.

"Now, bite down!" she encourages.

I bite off the piece that she put in my mouth, and start chewing. It's true, and I can't help but feel a little upset... _This is way better than mine!_

"See? See? Isn't it so much better?" Sayori asks, nodding her head at her own question.

"Y-Yeah..." I say after swallowing. "That was really good!"

"D-Do you... Want to trade sandwiches?"

"No, I'm satisfied with one bite," I say, laughing. "I'll get by with my own sandwich."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Sayori, I'm sure."

I take a bite of my inferior ham and cheese sandwich, and Sayori reluctantly bites down on her own sandwich. A tear rolls down her cheek.

"It's so good..." She sniffles.

 _'So dramatic,'_ I think to myself. _'But, yeah. I'm happy with just this.'_

I smile as Sayori continues to savor the flavor of the egg and cheese sandwich.

Once we finish, I pay the bill (which leaves me with almost no more money) and we walk back out towards the main courtyard again. There are about 30 minutes left in the festival. Sayori again wraps an arm around me as we walk, and keeps her head turned toward my face. Once we make it back to the main courtyard, I mull over what more we could do. But then, the main stage of the courtyard, which was empty just moments ago, begins to light up. The principal of the school stands up at a microphone, and begins a speech.

"Students, family, and others! I'd like to thank you all for attending our school's annual cultural festival!" He pauses to wait for applause to die down. "All of our wonderful students have put in their utmost effort to make this year yet another unforgettable one! As a closing ceremony, I'd like to introduce a performance from our school's band and dance departments! Thank you all, and enjoy!"

He steps down, and the school band wheels all of their assembled equipment into the back of the stage. Next they set up their instruments, and then the dance crew also gathers on stage. They're good, even great. The dance is choreographed perfectly with the music, and it's all very intricate. But, as Sayori and I watch, my mind wanders.

 _'This morning... I don't really know what happened, but I know that Sayori was pushed to self harm because of whatever was in her head. And that nightmare I had...'_ I look down at Sayori, who is looking up at me, smiling and swaying back and forth. _'No... That smile is too good. I need to protect it, I_ will _protect it.'_

Sayori and I continue smiling at each other until the sound of the band's performance suddenly concludes, snapping us from our daze.

"Thank you all for attending!" The principal exclaims. "Take the next 15 minutes to conclude your activities, and have a great day!" He bows and walks off stage to the sound of applause.

As the people around us resume their movement, I turn to Sayori. "Is there anything else you want to do, Sayori?"

"No, not really. I'm ready to go whenever you are."

I glance toward the stand that's been set up by the anime club. I don't see Yashiro there, so I decide not to go there at all. They'd probably spoil the finale of one anime I watch as soon as I walk up, anyway. Then, I remember that, since he signed up for the literature club, he probably isn't with the anime club anymore. I wonder why...

"I'm ready to go, too," I say.

The two of us, holding each other, make our way to the front of the school. I glance down a few times, and every time I do, I see Sayori's blue eyes, a small smile, and her little pig gripped against her chest. It's an image that makes my smile widen every time I see it. As we exit the school, my eyes recognize a familiar, large figure sitting on a bench on the side of the walkway.

"Well, shit! What a coincidence meeting you guys right here!"

Yashiro is sitting on the bench, grinning at us and holding some cotton candy in his hand.

"Language!" Sayori shouts, letting go of me and waving her arms at Yashiro.

"Hey Yashiro," I say, actually glad that I found him. "What're you doing out here?"

"Waiting for someone, and I'm not too interested in most of the stupid festival events. You guys leaving a little early?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Who are you waiting for? Did you finally manage to talk politely to a girl or something?"

"Something like that. I ain't tellin you shit."

"LANGUAGE," Sayori insists again.

"Sorry, sorry," Yashiro laughs. "But, what's with you two? I haven't seen you guys actually hang out in a while. And, if I'm seeing things straight, were you two holding each other when you walked out?"

"I-I..! YOU! UGH!" Sayori grunts and turns away from Yashiro with her arms crossed and a blush across her face.

Yashiro blinks a couple of times and looks between Sayori and me.

"No way. You're shittin' me, right?"

Sayori whips back around, yelling, "LANGUAGE!"

"Dude, Anon! You finally worked up the balls to ask her out?"

"I told you, I–!" I cut myself off from what I'm used to saying to Yashiro by now; that I don't like Sayori like that. Of course, I do. I just didn't realize it before. "Y-Yeah, I guess."

"Nice, bro!" He raises up his hand for a high five but Sayori glares at me, so I leave him hanging.

"Well, there's actually something we want to ask you, Yashiro," I say, finally getting to the entire reason I was looking for him.

"Oh, yeah? I guess it's good that we found each other, then. What's up?"

"Why are you joining the literature club?" I ask bluntly.

"Eh? H-How did you guys find it about that?"

"I'm the Vice President of the literature club, actually," Sayori says, crossing her arms. "Why are you joining the club?"

"Oh yeah, the Club President said that there were two members who couldn't make it in time... Who's the other member?" Yashiro starts grinning mischievously, and I have a small suspicion I know what he's going to say.

"Stop dodging the question Yashiro!" Sayori puts her hands on her hips. "Why are you joining?"

"Is Anon the other member?" His grin widens.

"Yes, he is. Now answer the question!"

"Were you guys late today because," he starts chuckling, "you were doing something _dirty?_ "

Even though I'm a few feet behind Sayori and she's facing away from me, I can see her blush reach the top of her ears.

"I-I whawhaa-why d-d-d-did y-y-y-you SAY THAT?!" Sayori screams and kicks Yashiro in the shin. "You are SO unbelievable! Of course we didn't do that!"

"Shit!" Yashiro grips his shin and leans back in the bench. "That hurt!"

Sayori ignores Yashiro's cries of distress and walks back over to me.

"I can't handle him," she grumbles. "Let's just go already."

"Sure, just one second," I say, patting her on the head before walking over to Yashiro.

"Man, she's brutal!" He sighs, taking a bite of his cotton candy. "How do you deal with her?"

"I'm just not a dumbass, that's how," I sigh, shaking my head. "Listen, I really don't care if you're in the club and I don't care why. I just ask that you'll show a little bit of self control."

"What do you mean?" He asks through gritted teeth.

"I mean, all of those girls are my friends. I'd prefer it if you don't make them all feel uncomfortable with your being there."

"Please, I wouldn't ever say something like that in front of Sayori again..."

"I'd really be more worried about Natsuki than Sayori."

Yashiro's face drains. "S-She's worse?"

"Yeah, she's dangerous."

"I'LL BE CAREFUL!" he cries, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"Really, you wouldn't try to beat her up?"

"I'd never hit a girl! That would ruin their sex appeal!"

"Just... Tone down the pervert talk, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll try." He forces a smile through an incredibly pained expression. "I-I'll see you at the club meeting... tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll be going now. See you tomorrow, Yashiro."

I turn and head back to Sayori.

"Well, are you ready to go to the office?" I ask, putting an arm around her.

"A-Actually, since we still have some time..." She puts an arm around me too. "Let's go to my house for a second, since I left my phone there this morning."

"Oh, that's right. We should probably get that, huh?"

"Yeah..." We walk for a little bit before she grips my side. "Anon... You know I... I love you, right?"

"Where did that come from?" I look down at her to see that she's looking down at the ground, blushing a little.

"It's just that... I'd do anything for you, y'know?"

"I-I..." Given what Yashiro said a couple of minutes ago, I can't help but get flustered at the implications. "Y-You... You don't need to do anything you don't want to."

"B-But I... I feel like..." She looks further down at the ground.

I use my opposite arm to reach across and pull her head to face me. She looks up at me, her eyes glimmering as she does so, and I lightly caress her cheek.

"All you need to do is look at me," I say, smiling down at her. "That's because I love you, right?"

"I... I..." Sayori blinks as a tear falls down her cheek. "I love you so much... I... I don't deserve you..."

"You're too pure for this world," I say, chuckling. "You're the one that I don't deserve."

"That's... not true, Anon."

"I promise, that's really how I feel."

"That's... Then I really don't deserve you," she laughs and squeezes me in both arms along with her pig.

We made our way back to her home.

_

 _(Notes:_ _Whew, that was a lot for me to write in one document! But, I'm really happy with how this turned out! Also, I hope you guys enjoyed that reference I made with Yashiro's 'incredibly pained expression.' Honestly, this was super fun to write and I'm excited about the next couple chapters, too. As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	18. Monday, Psychologist Appointment

_(My updates will be slowing down a little bit. I may be writing this story as I go, but I've decided that I should start on my next project ahead of time! No, my secondary project is not another Doki Doki one. I've also kinda burnt myself out on this story, which sucks because I really want to get it done. I'll keep the updates weekly at least, so don't worry too much. Enjoy the chapter!)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

"Oh, I guess my mom is home still," Sayori says, glancing at the car in the driveway.

"Yeah, that makes sense," I say. "It's only a few minutes to get to the psychologist's office from here, and the appointment is in about 20 minutes."

"W-Well," Sayori sighs, letting go of me, "I guess we should go in."

"Yeah, right."

Sayori opens the door, which is still unlocked of course, and we walk inside.

"Hey, Mom?" Sayori calls. "We're back!"

Soon, the sound of Sayori's mom running around upstairs becomes apparent. She makes her way down the stairs and almost tackles Sayori in a hug.

"Hi baby!" She exclaims, holding her daughter in a bear hug. "How was it? Did you have fun?"

"Y-Yeah, ehehe~" Sayori laughs nervously. "What were you doing upstairs, Mom?"

"Oh, just unpacking. Also, I really couldn't help but look in your bedroom..." She pats Sayori on the shoulder. "I already treated the blood on the floor with cleaner, so I'm just waiting for it to dry and take the stains out."

 _'Oh yeah, I forgot about the blood stains...'_

"Anyway, what are you two doing back here?" Mrs. Saitō asks, letting Sayori out of her hug.

"We decided that we wanted to leave a little early," I explain.

"Anon got me a piggie!" Sayori squeaks, holding up the plushie to show her mother.

"Oh, how sweet!" Mrs. Saitō looks at me, winking and smiling knowingly. "Well, I suppose I'm going to drive you to the appointment, since you're already here."

"I guess so," I say. "The thing is that Sayori forgot her phone here."

"Oh, did she?" Mrs. Saitō looks down at Sayori and laughs. "How'd you ever make it through the day?"

"I slept," Sayori mumbles.

Mrs. Saitō just laughs and pats Sayori's shoulder, then turns to me. "You also left your backpack by the door, Anon."

"Oh, well I didn't need to bring it since we were too late to..." I stop as I suddenly remember the fact that I actually have school, which is a fact that I actively ignored since finding out about Sayori's depression.

"What's wrong, Anon?" Sayori asks, turning toward me.

"I didn't do any of my homework over the weekend!"

"Eh?!" Sayori suddenly slaps her hands to her cheeks. "T-That's totally my fault! I kept you really busy!"

"N-No, it's my fault for forgetting," I say, waving my hands at her. "Besides, I don't have that much, and it'll give me something to do while you're with the psychologist."

"Ah... I guess it's okay, then," Sayori mutters, before looking at her mom. "Hey Mom, can we have Anon over for dinner tonight?"

"Oh? Well, of course!" Mrs. Saitō says with a chuckle. "I was going to ask him anyway, since he's done so much to help you."

"W-Well, if you don't mind," I say with a small bow.

"Of course not!" Both Sayori and her mother say in unison.

Sayori goes and grabs her cell phone, which has a couple of missed calls and messages from Natsuki, and we end up watching TV until we have to leave. I do remember to grab my backpack on the way out. It's a quick drive so the ride is mostly silent, except for my making sure that Sayori is okay a couple of times. We arrive one minute before the appointment time, and walk into the building. The waiting room has walls painted in a soft yellow, and the floor is covered in grey carpet. There's a young lady sitting behind a desk, and 2 other people sitting in the lounge chairs lining the room.

"Hello," the lady behind the desk greets us. "May I ask the name of the patient?"

"Sayori," Mrs. Saitō replies.

"Okay... That's the 2:30 appointment with Dr. Sakarai?"

Mrs. Saitō looks at me, and I confirm, "Yes."

"He should be ready in a few minutes. Please take a seat."

Sayori, her mom, and I all sit in the soft chairs to wait for the doctor's arrival.

"Wow, it's so soft!" Sayori sighs as she sinks back into the chair.

"Yeah. Talk about doing homework in comfort," I say, taking my binder out of my backpack.

"Ehehe, we all have to do it, Anon," Sayori says, leaning over the chairs' arms to look at my work.

"Wait... Did you ever do your homework?" I ask, looking at her.

"I only had math because the other teachers were mindful of the festival, but I did that in class."

"I wish I had your teachers," I sigh, starting to write down my history homework.

Over the next few minutes, the other two people are asked to meet with their doctors and they exit the room. Eventually, Dr. Sakarai walks through the door to the room. He's pretty tall, with short dark hair and glasses.

"I'm here for Sayori?" he says in a gruff, yet somehow soothing tone.

"I-I'm right here," Sayori says, standing up and bowing politely. "It's nice to meet you."

"Hey Sayori," I say, causing her to turn toward me. "Don't be so nervous. I'll be waiting for you, alright?"

"Mhm." She nods her head at me and then her mom, before walking over to the doctor.

"We should only be about an hour," He says, before heading through the door.

"Wow, there are a lot of offices! Which one's yours?" Sayori says excitedly.

"It's just up there, to the left–"

The door closes behind Sayori and Dr. Sakarai, leaving me alone in the waiting room with Mrs. Saitō.

"I should probably do my homework, then," I sigh, once again picking up my pencil.

"Okay," Mrs. Saitō replies. "I'll just read some magazines. Or something on my phone. Or maybe I could play that phone game I got recently..."

I start cracking down on homework, hoping to finish by the time that Sayori is done. Eventually, Mrs. Saitō settles on playing a game on her phone, and we stay like that for the next hour.

Once the hour is up, the woman behind the desk speaks up, "Dr. Sakarai would like some more time with her, if that's alright."

"I-I suppose so," Mrs. Saitō responds. "How much longer will it be?"

"Maybe another hour, I'm not sure. And don't worry, it won't cost extra."

"Alright then..."

I suddenly realize that Sayori is in there dealing with a lot of really heavy emotions right now. I have no idea how she's doing, and I can't help her until the appointment is over. It's really frustrating, now that I'm actually thinking about it. And now that my mind is wandering, I'm also suddenly feeling guilty about how I've treated her for our entire lives. I was constantly teasing her, barely hanging out with her, and I ignored her more often than not. I never even considered that she might be depressed, so I never tried to help her through those feelings. The way she looks up to me, plus the way I neglected her... Did I contribute to her depression?

"Hey Anon," Mrs. Saitō says, giving me a concerned look and snapping me from my disturbing thoughts. "You're really worried, aren't you?"

"A-Ah, yeah, you could say that," I sigh, looking at the blank wall. "I just... I'm thinking a lot, I guess."

"Well, this is for the best, isn't it? All we can do now is keep going forward, and not dwell on the past."

"That's... unexpectedly level-headed coming from you," I say, truly shocked at this apparent change in demeanor.

"R-Really?" She stutters, tears falling down her face. "THAT'S SO NICE OF YOU TO SAY!!"

I can't help but laugh at her display. Even with my thoughts continuing to scratch at the back of my mind, Mrs. Saitō can still lighten my mood. I guess that's just another thing that Sayori gets from her.

Within the next 20 minutes, I finish the last of my homework. I end up just laying back in the soft chair while waiting. Talking to Mrs. Saitō is an option, but I don't want to accidentally slip up and give away my relationship with Sayori before dinner. Given no other option, my mind wanders again. How's Sayori doing? What's happening in there? Is this really all my fault? I'm abruptly shaken from my thoughts just 10 minutes later, when the door opens. Sayori walks in, and I can easily see that her eyes are red from wiping away tears.

"Sweetie!" Mrs. Saitō exclaims, standing up from her chair. "How did it go?"

But Sayori looks past her mom, right at me. She quickly makes her way over, and is in front of me before I can even finish standing up. She smiles softly as she pushes me back into the chair and climbs on top of me, straddling my legs and getting up on her knees in the large chair.

"Anon," she whispers softly.

She wraps her arms around my shoulders, and slowly lowers her face to mine. Her warm, soft lips push against my own as she pulls me deep into her kiss.

_

 _(Notes: Okay, are we happy now? Disappointed? Surprised? Confused? Interested, intrigued, or otherwise vexed? All bets are off now, since this is actually the last story point I had prepared for myself when I started this story, so I'm looking to your comments! As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	19. Monday, Talking With the Psychologist

_(Umm... This is a wholesome story. Also, I was gonna post this tomorrow morning, but I JUST COULDN'T STOP MYSELF!_ _Hope you enjoy!)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

My first instinct is to pull back from Sayori, but the fact that she's already pressing me back against the seat makes that impossible. As this whole situation sinks in, I stop resisting. Sayori gently breathes through her nose, the warmth hitting my face. I don't know if it's the sweet smell of her shampoo and perfume, or the sweet taste of her lips, or the warmth of her pressed against me, but the world around the two of us slowly becomes a bit more distant. I forget everything else for a moment, and put my arms around her back while pressing up against her lips with my own.

Suddenly, Sayori lets go of my mouth and sinks her head over my shoulder, sobbing.

"S-Sayori?" I stutter, unable to think of much else than to tighten my hug around her. "W-What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing..." Sayori barely gets out between her sobs. "I'm j-just... so happy–" She resumes crying.

Now that Sayori's face isn't covering mine, I'm reminded that we're in the waiting room of the psychology office. And Mrs. Saitō is standing right there, staring at us with her mouth agape. Dr. Sakarai is standing behind her and chuckling, which is even more confusing than the fact that Sayori just forced a kiss on me. What did they talk about in there?

"S-Sayori," I whisper to my girlfriend once she starts calming down. "Y-Your mom is right t-there."

"I know... Just give me a second."

"I don't know how to handle this situation..."

"I don't either, so..."

I look back to Mrs. Saitō, who is now talking in rapid hushed tones with Dr. Sakarai, who is still chuckling. I'm guessing that Sayori told him about our relationship, and he's telling her mom. I wonder what they talked about in there that made her kiss me like that...

"Hey, Sayori... Why did you do that?"

"I... Dr. Sakarai... We talked a lot, and... Well, did you not like it?"

"Of course I did, but... I thought we were going to tell your mom about us during dinner. Also, we probably could have let her know in a better way than just kissing out of the blue."

"Dr. Sakarai said he wants to talk to both of you after the appointment, so... I probably shouldn't keep you any longer."

Sayori stands up and takes a step back, looking away with an obvious blush on her cheeks. I stand up as well, and look at Dr. Sakarai and Mrs. Saitō. The former smiles at me, and the latter is... crying?

"Come on over here," Dr. Sakarai says with a wave of his hand.

I look back at Sayori, who is just smiling softly and leaning back in a chair. Dr. Sakarai leads Mrs. Saitō and I through the door and to the end of the hallway, where he opens the last door for us on the left.

"Well," he sighs, "we have a little bit to talk about."

"WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME ABOUT THIS?!" Mrs. Saitō cries suddenly, gripping my shoulders tightly.

"Ouch! That hurts my shoulders!" I say, trying to push her arms off of me.

"I'M SORRY!" She cries loudly, letting go of my arms. "BUT WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME?!"

"W-We were planning to let you know during dinner tonight," I say, rubbing my arms. "W-Why are you crying?"

"YOU TWO ARE SO CUTE TOGETHER!" she screams, holding her head in her hands.

"Well," Dr. Sakarai cuts in, placing his hand on Mrs. Saitō's shoulder, "I guess we should get down to business."

"Sayori said that you wanted to talk to us, right?" I ask the doctor, hoping to avoid more of that conversation with Mrs. Saitō.

"Well, it's obvious that Sayori has severe depression," he says. "And under normal circumstances, I'd say that the last thing we should do is make her rely too much on anyone. But, I'm sure you've noticed how she clings to you for support, Anon."

"Yeah, I did notice that."

"It seems like she's been starved for attention from you. Is it true that you've... somewhat neglected her in the past couple of years?"

"I... guess so. I've been thinking, but... Do you think I had something to do with her depression in the first place?"

Mrs. Saitō grabs my shoulder (she's still crying). "D-Don't think like th-that! It's n-not your fault..."

"Well, I do think you could have made it worse by ignoring her. You couldn't have known though, so don't beat yourself up about it. The problem is that Sayori wasn't getting any attention from you, but now you're suddenly giving her too much of it. Again, having her rely on you too much is a bad thing, but it's too late now. At this point, separating you from her would be horribly dangerous."

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Saitō asks. "Could she... hurt herself?"

"Definitely. This morning she already harmed herself, right? Anon was away from her for a single night, and she was so conflicted and full of self-doubt that she had to hurt herself to distract from the mental stress."

"The way you said that almost makes it seem like they've been spending the night together or something, ahaha," Mrs. Saitō laughs uncomfortably.

"Well, I guess it makes sense that they didn't tell you. Yes, they slept together Friday night and Saturday night."

"Wh-What?" She stutters before looking at me, wide eyed.

"W-We didn't do anything, I swear!" I yell, waving my hands at her. "B-Besides, we didn't actually plan on it, it just ended up–"

"WHAT? W-WHAT?! HAAAAH?!" Mrs. Saitō is pretty much short-circuiting now.

"Well, because of the way Sayori reacted to being alone, I'd actually recommend that they sleep at least in adjacent rooms from now on," Dr. Sakarai explains.

"EEEEHH?!" Mrs. Saitō exclaims again, looking at the psychologist. Looking back at me, she cries, "You're not cute together anymore! I'm buying security cameras!"

"Well, it's just unhealthy for her to be away from Anon. Now, there are a few options as far as treatment goes. We could just do therapy, but she'd have to constantly stay with Anon for a long time. We could also put her on either light medication or heavy medication, although she already said that she isn't going to take heavy meds."

"I'll do whatever you need me to do," I say. "I just want her to be happy."

"Well, I recommend putting her on light medication. It'll help speed the recovery process along, but Sayori and Anon will still have to stay together for a while. Technically I can't prescribe medicine since I'm not a psychiatrist, but there is one that I can recommend."

"Well, what do we need to do aside from medication?" Mrs. Saitō asks, finishing drying her tears.

"First, again, she should stay with Anon for a bit. As for therapy with me, if you want to come back in, I would want to focus on breaking her out of her shell. She's filled with self-doubt, and that's stopping her from doing the things that she wants. She thinks she doesn't deserve things, she doesn't want to be selfish, etcetera, etcetera. I think that, by working through that, I can find the root of her depression. I'm trying to convince her to indulge a little bit, and that it isn't selfish at all. In fact, that kiss out there was an exercise in that."

"What do you mean?" I ask. I knew he had something to do with that.

"Well, she's wanted to be with you for a while. She never confessed to you, though, because she thought it would be selfish and ruin your friendship. This was the same. She wants to be with you, and even further the relationship, but she isn't confident that you actually feel that way about her. So, just to clarify, how do you feel about her?"

"I... I love her," I say, "more than anything."

Mrs. Saitō starts crying again.

"Well, the point of that kiss was for her to test that," Dr. Sakarai elaborates. "Depending on your initial reaction, Sayori would know how you felt. That was my theory, anyway. How did it make you feel?"

"Well, at first I was really shocked, and– Wait, are you evaluating _me_ now?"

"It's all for her sake, believe me."

"Well, at first I tried to pull away. It was just unexpected, I guess. I don't think she noticed that though, since she had me pinned all the way back anyway."

"I didn't expect her to be that forceful, I admit," Dr. Sakarai says with a chuckle. "Then again, she's been bottling these feelings up for a long time. We can't blame her for being eager."

"How much has she been bottling up? I mean, how much don't we know really about her?"

"Well, most things. Her entire happy persona is completely fabricated. I'm sure that she doesn't even really know herself."

"So we put her on medication, bring her to therapy, and have Anon stay with her," Mrs. Saitō sighs, wiping her eyes. "What else? Is there anything?"

"No. The more aspects of her life that stay the same, the better. Mrs. Saitō, I can talk to you more about the medication and therapy appointments at the front desk. Anon, I think we've kept you from your girlfriend long enough."

As Dr. Sakarai leads us back to the waiting room, I glance up at Mrs. Saitō. She looks back at me and hesitates, before simply nodding her head and looking back forward. We enter the waiting room, and I look over at Sayori, who is asleep in one of the chairs. Mrs. Saitō and Dr. Sakarai walk to the front desk and start talking with the lady sitting behind it, and I walk over to sit next to Sayori. I slowly push my hand below her own, which is resting on the shared armrest of the chairs, and lace my fingers with hers.

_

 _(Notes: Alright, I hope you are satisfied with that explanation. I was just thinking that we really don't know anything about Sayori except that she's depressed and is in love with MC. She's been acting out an entire life as a happy, outgoing character, even though that probably isn't who she is at all. Also, I couldn't have our couple get separated now, right? Not after what she just did. Next chapter is dinner (and probably bedtime), so I hope you'll all enjoy it. As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you in the next chapter!)_


	20. Monday Night

_(Woo! Chapter 20! Also we just reached 100 favorites this morning! Also the end of Monday finally, so I hope you all enjoy!)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

"Hey Sayori," I say softly, squeezing her hand in mine, "it's time to go."

She stirs a little bit in the chair, but remains asleep.

"Wake up," I say again, shaking her shoulder with my other hand.

"Mmeh," Sayori grumbles, turning onto her side. "Five more minutes..."

I sigh and lean down to whisper in her ear, "C'mon babe, time to get up."

"Wh-Wh-What?!" Sayori squeaks, sitting upright and looking at me, blushing.

"I said that we need to go now," I say, successfully holding back my chuckle at her reaction

"Eh? Where..." Sayori looks around, taking on the surroundings, before her eyes widen. "Oh yeah, the psychologist! Wait... I..."

"What's wrong?" I ask.

Sayori turns to me, and her face flushes completely. "OhhiAnonhowareyoudoing!"

"What's wrong?" I ask again.

"I-I can't believe I actually did that! That was so embarrassing!"

"What do you mean?" Thinking back, I guess that the kiss was the last thing that happened before Dr. Sakarai pulled Mrs. Saitō and me aside. I chuckle a little at her embarrassment, since she was the one that initiated it. "Do you mean this?"

Still holding Sayori's hand, I lean down and plant a small kiss on her lips. When I stand back up, I see a deep red covering Sayori's entire face.

"I-I-I... Y-You j-j-just... W-Why did you do that?!" Sayori slaps her cheeks with both of her hands.

"W-Well, since we already had our first kiss, I thought we wouldn't need to worry about that anymore." I can feel my own face heating up.

"I-I guess..." Sayori mumbles, averting her eyes from me.

"We really need to go, honey," Mrs. Saitō sighs, putting a hand on Sayori's shoulder.

"M-Mom?" Sayori looks up at her mother with a dazed look on her face. "Um... Surprise, Anon and I are dating! Ehehe~"

"Get up sweetie," Mrs. Saitō says, turning to walk toward the door.

"What's going on?" Sayori whispers once she gets up, grabbing my arm. "Is she okay with us?"

"Yeah. There's a lot to go over, so we can explain it all once we're at your house."

"O-Okay..."

Sayori and I walk back to the car with Mrs. Saitō. Sayori sits in the front seat and I sit in the back, and I see her glance back at me a few times during the short ride.

"What's for dinner, Mom?" Sayori asks when we reach her house.

"Oyakodon," Mrs. Saitō says simply as she turns off the car.

"A-Are you alright, Mom?" Sayori asks worriedly.

"I'm exhausted. You two really dropped a lot on me today."

"I-I'm sorry," Sayori says, bowing in apology immediately as she steps out of the car. "This wasn't how–"

"Don't apologize," Mrs. Saitō sighs, quickly walking over and embracing her daughter. "This isn't your fault. I feel like I should've been there for you a little more."

"Ah, no," Sayori says quickly, returning her mother's hug. "D-Don't say that, Mom! You've done plenty for me!"

"I know, sweetie," Mrs. Saitō sighs, releasing her daughter and patting her shoulder. Then, she turns to me and says, "I was serious about those security cameras. I'm too tired now, but I'll get some tomorrow!"

She turns and walks toward the house, leaving Sayori to look at me with a confused expression. I walk up and take her hand, and start towards the house after Mrs. Saitō.

"Security cameras?" Sayori inquires quietly.

"Well, the psychologist said that..." I work out exactly what I should say in my head for a moment before continuing. "Long story short, I'm going to be living in your house for a while."

"Wh-WHAT?!" Sayori shrieks and we stop in the doorway.

I see Mrs. Saitō turn to regard us for a moment, before turning back and setting her things down on the counter.

"Come on, don't stop," I say, pulling her from the doorway and closing the door behind her. "And she also knows that we've been spending the night together."

"A-And she agreed to have you stay here?" Sayori asks, gripping my hand tighter.

"Yes. With security cameras."

"I guess that makes sense, ehehe~" Sayori chuckles before grabbing my arm with both of hers. "I can't believe we'll be living together, Anon!"

"Weren't we pretty much living together over the weekend?" I ask with a small laugh.

"Well, I guess... But now it's going to be official!"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Hey kids," Mrs. Saitō calls from the kitchen. "Do you mind giving me a hand with the food?"

"Of course, Mom!" Sayori calls. "Let's go help, Anon!"

"Wait," I say, grabbing Sayori's arm gently. "Should we change the bandages on your arm first?"

"Oh?" Sayori rolls up her sleeve and looks at her bandages, which are stained red. "I guess we should change them."

I bring her to the bathroom, where I grab the same supplies that I used this morning. I gingerly remove the current bandages and reveal her arm, which is red with dried blood. I use a damp paper towel to clear away the dark red surrounding her wound, which has scabbed over.

"I-It hurts," Sayori whimpers, her arm shaking.

"I know, it looks like it hurts," I say softly. "Don't focus on it. Just look at me, alright?"

"Ah, okay," Sayori whispers, nodding her head.

I pat her on the shoulder before finishing disinfecting her cut. I carefully wrap her arm in another bandage, and then put away the medical supplies.

"All better?" I ask, gently massaging her arm.

"N-Not really... It still hurts," Sayori sighs and pouts.

I lean in and put a little kiss on her cheek, gripping her hand.

"Let's go help your mom, shall we?" I say, tugging her toward the door.

"A-Ah, yeah," she stutters, covering her cheek with her free hand. "Let's do that."

Sayori and I start helping Mrs. Saitō with the dinner as soon as we reach the kitchen. It's a quicker process than I had expected, and we're sitting at the table just after 5:00 PM. Then we give thanks and begin eating.

"Ooh, thish ish good!" Sayori exclaims through a full mouth. "Thanksh Mom!"

"Yeah, thanks Mrs. Saitō," I add after swallowing the admittedly delicious mouthful.

"Well, thanks for helping," Mrs. Saitō says. "Anon, we should probably move some of your things over here after dinner."

"That'd probably be a good idea," I respond. "How long do you think I'll be here?"

"Well, at least... a while, I guess. Dr. Sakarai said that the medication might take some time to take effect, and the therapy isn't exactly instant either."

"Medishine?" Sayori inquires before swallowing her current bite.

"Yeah," I say to her, smiling. "Your treatment will consist of therapy, medicine, and me."

"I don't wanna take medicine though," Sayori sighs and pouts. "That just dulls my head, right?"

"Not just that, sweetie," Mrs. Saitō assures, placing her hand on Sayori's from across the table. "Besides, he told me that we're going to get a mild dosage, so you won't be too dull."

"Alright, I guess it's fine then..." Sayori takes another smaller bite.

After a few moments of silent eating, Mrs. Saitō speaks up again, "So Anon, have you told your parents about... any of this?"

"I..." An overwhelming feeling of guilt and dread suddenly hits me. " _Oh my God I haven't told them anything._ "

"Oh, don't worry about that," Mrs. Saitō chuckles, waving her hand at me. "I can call your mother later."

"Thanks, for doing all this," I sigh, resting my head on my hand.

"I should thank you, I think. You're doing so much for Sayori, after all."

"That's different. I'm doing that because I want to." I turn to Sayori and reach to grab her shoulder. "Because I love you, y'know?"

Sayori giggles a muffled "I love you too" as she takes some more bites.

"I-Is it different?" Mrs. Saitō asks, obviously holding back some kind of emotional outburst. "When I said that I think if you like a son, I meant it."

"I-I guess not, then."

"Eh?" Sayori looks at her Mom. "Isn't it weird for you to see him like that?"

"I don't think so," Mrs. Saitō replies. "I thought about it this morning, and I don't think that it's too weird."

The conversation shifts to some much lighter topics as we all finish eating. After cleaning up, Mrs. Saitō drives Sayori and me to my house to grab some things, mainly clothes, toiletries, and some things for school. We return to their house and set up the guest room for me to stay in, and are done with the whole process by 7:00.

"... and a towel for the shower," Mrs. Saitō finishes, handing me a towel.

"Thanks again for this, Mrs. Saitō," I say, putting away the last of my clothes.

"Nonsense," she sighs. "Today has been really tiring. I think I'm going to bed early."

"Already? It's only 7:00."

"Well, I have a busy day tomorrow. Buying security cameras, visiting the psychiatrist and getting Sayori's prescription filled, plus my actual job."

"Ah... I see."

"Hey, Anon!" Sayori calls, bouncing into the guest room holding her new plush pig. "Are ya done yet?"

"Yeah, we just finished," I say, ruffling her hair. "What's up?"

"Let's watch some TV!"

"Ah okay, I'm coming."

"Goodnight, sweetie," Mrs. Saitō says, giving Sayori a light hug.

"Oh, you're going to bed already?" Sayori asks, hugging her mom back.

"Yeah, it's been a long day."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow," Sayori says before jumping to me and grabbing my arm. "Come on, Anon!"

"Alright, alright!" I laugh.

Sayori pulls me to the couch in her living room and turns on the TV.

"What are we watching?" I ask.

"Just wait," Sayori giggles, curling up next to me and fiddling with the remote.

Suddenly, the streaming service that I use for watching my favorite anime pops up on the television screen.

"S-Sayori, since when have you had this?"

"A few years ago, you came over for a sleepover and we linked to your account. We never got rid of it, ehehe~"

"Why are we watching this?"

"Well... Didn't some new episodes come out this weekend? I'm sure you didn't get enough time to watch them."

"Well I guess, but we should watch something that you want to."

"I'm happy with just being with you while you watch."

"... Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! Now watch your shows!"

"A-Alright."

I settle into the couch, watching the few anime that I actually actively follow. Sayori just lays against me the whole time, shifting positions every so often. By the end of the last episode, a little before 9:00, she's resting across my lap.

"Is it over?" Sayori mumbles when I turn off the TV.

"Yeah," I say, putting my arm around her back. "Are you ready to go to bed?"

"Uh-huh," she hums, putting her arms around my shoulders and pulling herself up.

When she reaches my face, she puts a small kiss on my cheek and then falls back, giggling.

"Hey, you missed," I say, leaning down over her.

"What do you–"

I lean down and kiss Sayori's lips, embracing her tightly. When I lean back, her whole face is pink.

"A-Anon!" she squeaks, slapping her cheeks with her hands. "T-That was... T-That was so cheesy!"

"A little cheese isn't bad, right?" I say, chuckling a little.

"Ehehe~ I guess not," she sighs, fanning her face. She pauses for a moment, before saying, "I-I think we should get to sleep."

"Well, we do have school tomorrow," I concede, helping her sit up.

We each go to our respective rooms and change, then brush our teeth. We give each other a small hug, and I kiss Sayori's forehead, before we finally go to bed.

It's unexpectedly reassuring to know that Sayori is just on the other side of the wall. Even though I know she's still hurting, I somehow feel better about the entire situation. It's as if we've finally started down the path of healing. Even though it'll be a long path, it still feels good to at least have started. Besides, she really seemed somewhat happy earlier. I can tell that she was exaggerating at least a little bit, but I'm also sure that she was a little happier. I'm glad about that.

_

 _(Notes:_ _So Monday ended up being 8 chapters long. Whoops. Well, I'm happy to have it done, because IT'S ALMOST CLUB TIME! I'm really excited to write the three new club members, and there'll be a surprise (or two, I don't know). It'll be a good change to get back to the actual club instead of the festival and the therapy. As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	21. Tuesday Morning

_(HAPPY_ _MOTHERS DAY! I wish i could've made this centric around Mrs. Saitō a little more for the occasion, but_ _whatever)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

The screaming voice, which I quickly recognize as belonging to Mrs. Saitō, jolts me from my sleep and I quickly sit upright in bed. I look at the woman, who is in the doorway of the bedroom. Oh yeah, I'm at Sayori's house, aren't I?

"CAN'T I TRUST YOU TWO FOR ONE NIGHT WITHOUT SECURITY CAMERAS?!" She screams, waving her arms around.

"What's going on?" I ask groggily, still dazed by the sudden awakening.

"Five more minutes," I hear a soft voice mutter from right in front of me.

"You have separate rooms for a reason! I don't like this one bit, you two, and I'm going to make you regret...!"

While Mrs. Saitō shouts about appropriateness and such, I look down to see Sayori, on the floor and leaning against the bed with her eyes closed. Her arm is reaching up onto the bed, where she's holding my hand. I didn't even notice she had my hand until now.

"... So, what do you have to say for yourselves?!" Mrs. Saitō finishes, putting her hands on her hips.

"I don't really know what's happening," I mutter, scratching my head with my free hand before turning to my girlfriend. "Sayori, why are you in here?"

"Five minutes..." She mumbles again, squeezing my hand gently.

"Wake up," I say a little louder, tugging at her hand.

"Mm, what's it goin'?" Sayori yawns, stretching her arms before looking up at me. "Oh, morning Anon."

"Young lady," Mrs. Saitō says sternly, tapping her foot on the floor, "why aren't you in your own room?"

"Mmh?" Sayori turns toward her mom, rubbing her eyes. "Oh, I uh... I had a nightmare, and I came to sleep in here..."

"A... nightmare?" Mrs. Saitō gasps, before running over and embracing Sayori. "My poor baby girl! Are you okay? What was it about? It's okay, it's okay! It's just a dream, it's all better now!"

It will never cease to amaze me how quickly Mrs. Saitō can switch her attitude.

"Jeez, Mom," Sayori sighs, leaning away from her mother. "I'm fine, I–"

At that moment, we're all shocked when the alarm clock starts ringing loudly. I quickly reach over and shut it off, before returning to the conversation.

"I guess we should get ready," I say, starting to get out of bed.

"Oh, what do you want for breakfast, Anon?" Sayori asks brightly, suddenly jumping up.

"Well, I don't know," I say, rubbing my tired face. "What do you have right now?"

"Umm... Mom, what do we have for breakfast?"

"We have eggs, or pancakes, or breakfast cereal," Mrs. Saitō ponders. "We also have bacon."

"Do we have sliced bread?"

"Yes, we do."

"Hey Anon, how about eggs and toast?"

"Didn't you say that you had that about a week ago?" I ask, struggling to remember where we had that conversation.

"Eh? Maybe... You remember that?"

"Yeah... I think it was Wednesday?"

"Ehehe~ you're silly, Anon!"

"I'm going to get breakfast ready for you two," Mrs. Saitō says. "You just get ready."

"Oh, thanks a bunch, Mom!" Sayori exclaims, vehemently nodding her head. She turns to me. "You can take a shower before me, Anon."

"Oh, okay," I say, still a little groggy.

Sayori lets go of my hand, which she has been holding this whole time, and walks out of the guest room–now my room, I suppose. I grab my school uniform before heading to the shower. The shower in Sayori's bathroom is already stocked with my body wash and shampoo since I moved in, so I quickly get my shower done with. I put my clothes on and exit the bathroom, and Sayori goes in past me, leaning up and pecking me on the cheek as she passes. I double check my school things, and make my way into the kitchen, where Mrs. Saitō is preparing fried eggs and bacon.

"Mm... That smells really good," I say as I walk into the room.

"Oh, good morning Anon," Mrs. Saitō says, only looking up for a second before returning to the eggs in the pan. "These will be ready in a few minutes."

"Ah... Thanks for getting breakfast ready."

"Oh, don't worry about that. If you'll be living here, then I should give you the same treatment as Sayori. Oh, do you mind putting four pieces of bread in that toaster?" She gestures to some sliced bread set next to a toaster on the counter.

"Oh, yeah, sure." I move over and unravel the twisted opening of the bread bag, and take out four slices, which I slide into the slots of the toaster. "What level is good for these?"

"About four and a half," Mrs. Saitō says.

I lower the bread slices with a push of the lever. Aside from the sizzling of the eggs and bacon, the room falls into an uncomfortable silence. We stand there for a few moments, but eventually Mrs. Saitō breaks the still air.

"So, about earlier... I'm... sorry, for startling you awake."

"No, don't be," I say, waving my hand at her. "I think you did what was right in the moment."

"Well, I was thinking, and... If Sayori really... _really_ needs it... then, is it right for me to stop you two from sleeping together?"

"N-No, we shouldn't be– I mean, this is your house, so we shouldn't do that. I'll talk with her about it."

"Well I know that's easy enough for you, but for her... Dr. Sakarai said that it's dangerous to keep you seperated, and I don't want to hurt her."

"But we're dating, so we really shouldn't–"

"You're both 18. I should... trust you more. So, I decided against the security cameras."

Mrs. Saitō scoops up the eggs and lays them on a couple of plates on the counter, just as the toast jumps up from the toaster.

"Well, I really..." I trail off momentarily, processing what she just said. "I guess I didn't expect you to say that, but I... appreciate it."

"Do you want jam with your toast?"

"Um, yes, thank you." I listen for a moment, and hear that the water from Sayori's shower has stopped. "I'll go tell Sayori that breakfast is ready."

"Oh, thanks dear."

I make my way towards the bathroom, thinking about everything. I'm really lucky that Sayori's mother is the way that she is. Even though it feels like so much has happened, it's really only been four days since Sayori and I started dating. Thinking about it that way, our relationship has been moving along pretty fast, hasn't it? I admit that I don't know too much about romance, but it seems that way. Then again, we've known each other since we were in kindergarten, so maybe that's why. Either way, I'm happy for it. Happier than I've ever been, even. That seems odd to say though, considering how emotionally taxing the last few days have been. I reach the door to the bathroom and knock.

"Hey, Sayori?" I call. "Breakfasts ready!"

"Just a few seconds!" I hear her call back, followed by rustling and movement from in the restroom.

I'm about to turn to go back to the kitchen when Sayori throws open the door, wearing her school uniform and bow. She quickly makes her way to me and hugs me, pressing her damp head of hair to my cheek and humming.

"Hungry?" I ask, returning her embrace and leaning my head against hers.

"Yeah," she says, sliding her arms from my back to hold my hands. "Let's go eat now."

We make our way to the kitchen, where our plates have been filled with eggs, bacon and toast, and sit at the table to eat. As we do, Sayori apologizes to her mother for going to sleep with me. Mrs. Saitō explains to her what she already said to me (along with the fact that she also prepared a box lunch for each of us), and Sayori ends up jumping from her chair and hugging her mom and shouting about what an amazing mother she is.

We quickly finish the very delicious breakfast, and start walking to school right on time. Mrs. Saitō's car passes us as she heads for her work (she works as a waitress at a restaurant, I think), and we wave at her.

"I'm so glad," Sayori suddenly says. "Anon, I'm so glad for everything that's been happening. It's like the world is just perfectly aligning for me, but..."

The tone that Sayori takes as she says that is off-putting. Almost somber, despite the happy phrasing.

"But...?" I hesitantly urge her on.

"The psychologist said to be more open with you, so..." She trails off and looks away for a second before turning back to me and hugging me tightly, stopping our walking pace. "I felt like I understood. Right after he talked with me, I felt so happy because I saw everything as it was. But, now I'm not sure anymore. Even though you're here, it feels like I'm lost again."

"I... I know, Sayori," I sigh, putting my arms over her shoulders. "It'll be a while before it's better. That's why you're going to take medication. We can't force the recovery process, no matter how much we want to."

"B-But, you and Mom are doing so much for me, and–"

"We do that because we love you. We'd feel worse if we did nothing, you know that."

"I... I know..." Sayori backs away from me for a moment, smiling, before she reaches up and pulls me into a kiss. She lets me go, giggling, "You're the best Anon!"

"N-No, you're the best," I say as she takes my hand again and pulls me along towards the school. "How's your arm doing, by the way?"

"Oh, it's better now." Sayori pulls up her sleeve to reveal the scabbed cut, which isn't bandaged anymore. "I think it'll scar, though."

I grab her arm and gently caress her wound with my thumb. "Does it hurt?"

"No, not really. It's a bit sensitive, though."

I retract my hand and Sayori lowers her sleeve, and we make our way onto the main street leading to the school. As we walk I notice one or two classmates of mine looking at us holding hands, and I'm suddenly dreading the day full of teasing that I'll likely have to put up with. As we walk up the steps of the school, I suddenly realize something.

"Hey Sayori, do you want to have lunch together today?" I ask.

"Huh?" Sayori looks up at me as if she had just realized it too. "Oh, yeah! Where should we meet?"

"Hm... How about by the bathrooms?"

"Alright, that sounds good to me! Wait, I'll need to tell my regular lunch group first."

"I will too, so we should just meet after talking to our groups, alright?"

"Yeah, mhm!"

The first bell rings, signaling students to make their way to class.

"Well, I'll see you at lunch babe," I whisper down to Sayori as we hug each other.

"Ehehe~ Alright babe. Love you!"

"I love you too."

We let each other go, and Sayori waves and smiles at me through her flushed cheeks as she quickly moves to her classroom. I turn and start walking to my own classroom, but I don't get very far before I feel a hand come down on my shoulder.

"Hey Anon," I hear the recognizable voice of Haroki, who sits next to me in class. "How're things going between you and Sayori, huh?"

This is going to be a long day.

_

 _(Notes:_ _Alright, my thoughts are a bit scattered at the moment, but I feel like I fit a good amount into this chapter, and I'm happy with the pacing. I had actually planned to keep the security cameras, but once I got to the talk about that, I looked at the character I made for Mrs. Saitō, and I honestly feel like this was in character for her. Happy mother's day again for those reading it today, by the way! As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	22. Tuesday, Lunchtime

_(I changed Sayori's surname in the past chapters, so now it's Saitō. This will probably be the last incarnation of the name, since it becomes more difficult to change as I add more chapters. Also, please let me know if I missed any spots.)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

Of course Haroki has to mention it to the entire class during homeroom. Why wouldn't he? Even though some of them act happy for me, all morning I'm prodded and teased by most of my classmates about my relationship with Sayori. Even during lectures, Haroki keeps leaning over and bothering me. He does get in trouble for talking once. Other than that, I don't get a single break until lunch comes around, and I'm out of the room too fast for anyone to follow.

I make my way to my usual table. I tell them that I'm having lunch somewhere else, but only a few of them seem interested in why. I just tell them that I'm hanging out with someone from my club, which isn't really a lie. As I approach the bathrooms, I see Sayori talking to a couple of the girls who were in the café during the festival, Katari and Juiyo. Curious, I walk up close to listen to their conversation.

"C'mon, Sayori!" I hear Juiyo plead. "Come back and eat with us!"

"N-No, I have other plans today," Sayori stutters, waving her hands.

"What plans, though?" Katari sighs exasperatedly. "You won't tell us anything!"

"Are you eating lunch alone with Anon or something?" Juiyo teases, placing her hand on Sayori's shoulder.

Sayori starts to stutter a response, but it's cut off by Katari exclaiming, "Eh, like a date?!"

"No, you dunce!" Juiyo snaps, holding her arms straight down at her sides. "You can't just eat lunch and call it a date! A date is, like, a candlelit dinner, or a trip to an amusement park, or something like that!"

"Well, if it's not a date, then why can't we go with her?"

While Juiyo explains her position on romance to Katari, I walk out of the crowd and grab Sayori's hand. At first she flinches, but when she sees that it's me she grips my hand tightly and comes with me into the sea of students in the cafeteria. I look back and see Juiyo and Katari looking around, confused, then take Sayori with me to a more secluded corner of the cafeteria, where there are less people.

"They just wouldn't leave me alone after I said I'd eat somewhere else," Sayori sighs as we sit next to each other at the table. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything to them."

"No, you needed to let them know," I say, resting my hand on top of hers on the table.

"I guess," Sayori says as she turns up her hand and grips mine. "Let's eat."

I fumble with my backpack to get the lunch out that Mrs. Saitō made. It takes a second, since Sayori and I are holding each other's hands and we only have one free hand each to get our lunches. But once we get them out, we open the bags, give thanks, and start eating.

"Mm, your mom is good with food," I say after a couple bites.

"Yuh-huh," Sayori agrees, nodding her head. "Too bad I don't take after her in that way, ehehe~."

"Well, _I_ think you make good teriyaki shrimp."

"Well, that was following a recipe," Sayori laughs. "My mom just knows what tastes good by instinct. It's kinda freaky, really."

"Practice makes perfect. You just haven't worked on it enough."

"Yeah, maybe."

We sit there for a while, eating and talking and holding hands the whole time. It doesn't take too long to finish the lunch and we continue talking for a bit.

"Really?" Sayori laughs as I explain how Haroki got in trouble earlier.

"Yeah, he didn't even notice until the teacher was standing right over him," I laugh too. "He wasn't punished too bad. It was still funny to see, though."'

"Ehehe~" Sayori chuckles and squeezes my hand a bit.

"How about you? Did anyone make a fuss about it in your class?"

"No, not really. There were only a few that knew, and they were really supportive!"

"Lucky," I say, putting on an exaggerated frown. "I have to go back to Haroki after lunch."

She laughs, then leans against me and sighs, "It's been so long since we spent lunch together at school, huh? We used to do it all the time..."

"Yeah, huh. That's... my fault, I think."

"No, it's mine. If I just made the effort to wake up on time in the mornings, then we would've kept walking to school together, and then–"

"That's different, and you know it," I interject. "That wasn't your fault anyway. I was the one who stopped making the effort to see you during lunch."

Sayori looks like she wants to object, but stops herself. There's no denying that I ignored her, and I can't even imagine how that made her feel. Or how she feels about it now.

"W-Why did you stop spending time with me?" she finally asks. "Was it... something that I did?"

"No." I squeeze her hand a little harder. "I think that... I loved you even then. I just didn't understand my feelings and it felt weird to be with you, so I... tried to ignore you."

Sayori stays silent. After a couple seconds, she lets go of my hand, and instead puts her arms around me in a warm embrace. I slowly put one of my arms around her too.

"I... I-I didn't even... I couldn't even think that you..." Sayori starts crying quietly. "I-I always m-missed you s-so much..."

"I'm sorry..." I whisper as I hug her closer. "It's all because I couldn't understand my own feelings. It's my fault."

"N-No, it's... i-it's fine... I'm so happy now, so... It's alright."

"... Why are you crying?"

"T-These are h-happy tears~! B-Because you loved me the whole t-time, Anon..."

"Hey, babe," I whisper, bringing the index finger on my free hand up to her chin. "Look up at me."

Sayori looks up to me from my shirt, her eyes a little red around the edges. Her face is incredibly close to mine, but it wouldn't matter either way. I lean down and give her a small kiss on her lips. I hold it for about two or three seconds, and as I lean back up and look down, I see her eyes closed and a small smile forming. When she opens her eyes and sees me smiling down at her, her smile grows and she leans up and pecks my lips in return. She giggles and lets me go from the hug, and holds my hand again.

"I'm so lucky to have you babe," Sayori sighs as she tilts her head up at me.

"Me too. I don't know what I'd do without you."

She hums in an odd way, as if considering saying something, but she doesn't say whatever it is. That's when I notice two individuals sitting on the other side of her at the table.

"J-Juiyo, K-Kat-tari?" I stutter, realizing that they saw everything.

Sayori's face flushes, then she turns to also look at the pair of girls. "Wha-wha-wha-what are you doing here?!"

"Observing," Juiyo says, tilting her head.

"You guys are so cute together!" Katari cries, shaking her hands rapidly.

"Hey Sayori," Juiyo says, standing up and walking over. "Do you mind if I hit Anon?"

"Eh? N-No, don't do that!" Sayori protests, scooting closer to me. She pauses, and asks, "W-Why?"

"Because he's an idiot," she says plainly. "He's been actively ignoring you for almost 2 years now, right? I think he should get hit."

"N-No, he shouldn't!" Sayori puts her arms around me.

"Whatever. Anon, the next time I see you without her, I'm hitting you."

"That's fine," I chuckle. "I don't think we'll be apart very much."

"Why? Are you one of those super clingy boyfriends?"

"N-No, I don't think–"

"Then is she a clingy girlfriend?"

"W-Well, it doesn't– That's not what I'm even talking about! There's just some stuff going on, and it's none of your business."

Sayori nods along with my explanation. Juiyo glances back at Katari, shrugging, then turns back to us. "I've seen what I wanted to, so we'll just leave you alone now. See you later."

"Bye Sayori!" Katari smiles and waves energetically.

Sayori and I each wave after them. I realize that Sayori is still hugging me, and she lets go and starts to scoot away.

"Anon..." Sayori says quietly, glancing at me before looking at the table. "Am I... too clingy?"

"N-No, why would you think that?"

"Well, it just feels like we're always together now, so... I-If you need some space or something, t-then just let me know."

"Sayori, it's the doctor's orders," I sigh, scooting to retake the space between us and grabbing her hand, "Besides, I kinda like that about you. I mean, I'm a bit clingy too, so I enjoy being with you more often."

"Is that how it works? Both people in a relationship should have the same clinginess?"

"Maybe."

Sayori opens her mouth to say something else, but the bell rings and we clean up and exit the cafeteria. We hug each other one more time before parting, and then head to class. And now I need to deal with Haroki again until the end of the school day.

_

 _(Notes: You guys know what the next chapter is? It's the club! Yashiro, Sashi, and_ _Kaitaro will all be there, and there is something of a surprise awaiting. Remember at the end of the festival chapter, how Yashiro said that he talked nicely with a girl "or something like that"? As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	23. Tuesday, The Club (Part 1)

**_I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

Haroki is much more mellow after lunch, since I suppose he got all of the teasing out of his system already. He doesn't really bother me at all, and once class ends he even wishes me luck with Sayori. I then make my way towards the clubroom. Before I even make it there, Sayori runs from an intersecting hallway and wraps me up in her arms, causing me to stagger back a bit.

"Hey, Anon!" she says, muffled by my blazer that she pulls herself into.

"H-Hey, Sayori," I sigh, patting her head. "What has you so excited?"

"Getting to be with you!" she giggles, looking up at me with a smile. "We really haven't been to a club meeting since we started dating, right?"

"Ah, I guess... We'll have new members today, right?" I ponder aloud, continuing to run my fingers through her somewhat messy hair.

"Oh, yeah... Yashiro..." She grumbles and pouts and looks down at the ground. "I hope he doesn't ruin the whole club experience."

"No way. I talked to him remember?"

"That talk didn't go so well..."

"I think it did. At least, he seemed to listen up after you kicked him." I move my arm to go around Sayori's shoulder, and we start walking towards the clubroom together.

"He deserved it," Sayori mumbles, putting her arm around my back.

"I never said he didn't," I chuckle, pulling her closer. "It'll be fine, trust me."

"... I hope so."

I put a small kiss on her temple, and she responds by leaning her head on my shoulder, looking up and kissing at the bottom of my jaw. After a few kisses, she simply goes back to laying her head against me, looking forward. And I lean my head against the top of hers. When we reach the door to the club, we can't help but notice the sound of a boy screaming from inside.

"He pissed off Natsuki," I guess, unsurprised that Yashiro really couldn't hold himself back for too long.

Sayori just lets go of me and grumbles before slamming the door open, revealing quite the scene. Yashiro is on the floor, screaming, while Natsuki is kneeling down over him wrenching his arm in a _not natural_ way. Monika is standing over the two, waving her arms and trying to talk Natsuki down.

"N-Natsuki! I think that's enough punishment!" Monika pleads, although she doesn't dare get in between Natsuki and her prey.

"Yeah, yeah! Damn it! I'm done, I swear!" Yashiro cries as Natsuki keeps a hold on his arm.

"No, I'm not letting you off easy," Natsuki says, giggling. "I'm gonna reform you, Yashiro!"

"N-N-Natsuki, it was just a j-joke!"

"Yeah, I'm joking too."

"It doesn't count as a joke if I'm in actual pain!"

"Eh, you're no fun," Natsuki sighs, releasing his arm.

"What did he say this time?" Sayori asks in a sigh as we walk in.

"Huh? Oh, hey Sayori, Anon," Natsuki says, smiling at us. "Do you guys know Yashiro?"

"Unfortunately," Sayori grunts.

"Don't be like that Sayori," Yashiro sighs, rubbing his arm. "We're friends, right?"

Sayori starts to say something, but I cut her off, "More importantly, what did you say to make Natsuki hurt you?"

"Don't worry about that," Natsuki laughs, waving her hand. "We were just joking around."

"Y-You mean he didn't say something perverted?" Sayori says, looking relieved. "Thank goodness!"

"I don't really mind that, as long as it isn't too much," Natsuki says.

"Do you two already know each other or something?" I ask, looking between Natsuki and Yashiro.

"We met yesterday during the festival," Natsuki explains. "He's not so bad, so I let him hang around."

"Is she who you were waiting for yesterday after the festival, Yashiro?"

"Yeah, she was getting more cotton candy when you guys showed up."

"No wonder you freaked out when I said that she's more dangerous than Sayori," I say with a nervous chuckle.

"You said _what_?" Natsuki asks, crossing her arms.

"W-Well, Sayori has a habit of h-hurting Yashiro if he says something bad," I sputter, trying to talk my way out of probably another punch. "A-And I told him t-that you'd hurt him w-worse!"

Natsuki considers it for a moment. "Well, you're right that I can do a lot more damage than Sayori. Speaking of that... how's your arm doing, Anon?"

I'm a little caught off-guard, but I quickly remember the bruise on my upper arm that she gave me. "Oh, it's bruised, but it only hurts if I touch it. I had actually forgotten about it already."

Sayori suddenly grabs my arm with both of hers. "I totally forgot about your arm! I-I'm so sorry Anon!"

"I-It's fine, you don't need to–"

"I'm a failure as a girlfriend!" she cries overdramatically as Natsuki, Monika, and Yashiro watch, looking amused. "I'm supposed to make sure you're okay all the time! I forgot, even when you asked about my arm this morning..."

"You had a lot on your mind, so don't worry about it," I chuckle, patting her head.

Natsuki cuts in, asking, "What happened too your arm, Sayori?"

"E-Eh, nothing!" Sayori exclaims, looking wide-eyed at Natsuki and the others as if she had forgotten that they were there. "D-Don't worry about it!"

"Eh, why?" Natsuki puts her hands on her hips. "We know something happened to your arm now, so why are you trying to hide it? Is it something embarrassing?" Natsuki thinks for a second before her eyes widen. "D-Did Anon hurt you or something?!"

"No!" Sayori almost screams. "I-It's not his fault! I... I-I just made a mistake, s-so don't worry. I-It won't happen again." She turns to me and says quietly, "I-It wasn't your fault."

"What's going on?" I hear Yuri's voice ask from behind me.

"A-Ah, hey Yuri!" Sayori says, turning to meet her with a wobbly smile.

When I turn to Yuri, I also see that Monika is greeting Sashi and a brown-haired boy, who is probably Kaitaro, at the door. I was so occupied with Natsuki, Yashiro, and Sayori that I didn't notice her walk over there.

"Th-There's nothing going on at all!" Sayori continues. "Just small talk!"

"Not true," Natsuki argues. "Sayori let slip that something happened to her arm, but now she won't tell us what."

"She will tell you," I say, turning to look at Natsuki. "When she's ready, she'll tell you."

"A-Anon," Sayori whispers, holding my arm tighter.

"What could it be that's so bad that you can't say it? Whatever," Natsuki sighs, throwing her arms up before turning to Yashiro. "I need to show you my manga before the meeting really gets started, Yashiro. Follow me."

"Huh? You keep it in the clubroom?" Yashiro asks as they walk toward the closet in the back of the room.

"Sayori, Anon?" Yuri asks, approaching us and setting her bag down on a desk. "I... I hope I'm reading too far into the arm thing, but... A-Are you doing alright, Sayori?"

"Better now," she says, smiling at Yuri and lightening her grip on my arm a little. "Thanks for showing concern."

"So... I'm not reading too far into this, then?"

"No, you aren't," I confirm. "But it'll be better. How's your arm been, by the way?"

"O-Oh, I haven't..." Yuri blushes a bit and looks down, clasping and holding up her hands almost defensively. "I-I haven't had any incidents since Sunday."

"That's good," Sayori sighs.

"Okay, everyone!" Monika calls out to the club. "It's time to start the meeting!"

I glance back at the closet as Yashiro and Natsuki walk out, laughing. I'm genuinely surprised that they're getting along so well. It's almost funny, even. Aside from their polar opposite personalities, Natsuki even looks like a small child compared to Yashiro's mass. It's a comical sight. Monika puts Yashiro with the other two newcomers in the front of the room.

"Alright!" Monika exclaims. "Lets all give a warm welcome to our 3 new members! Kaitaro!"

"U-Uhm, I'm p-pleased to m-m-meet you all!" Kaitaro says loudly, bowing stiffly.

"Sashi!"

"Hello, I'll be sure to contribute!" Sashi says with a curtsy.

"Yashiro!"

"Sup," Yashiro says lazily with a sluggish wave.

"Fantastic! Now, I'm aware that Natsuki brought cupcakes and Yuri brought some tea, so why don't the rest of us arrange some desks while they set up the treats?"

And we do just that. We take 8 desks and arrange them in a table, and all sit down where we want. Of course I end up sandwiched between Sayori and Yashiro. Sayori keeps alternating between being lovey-dovey with me and glaring at Yashiro, meanwhile Yashiro keeps droning on about God knows what. The only parts I'm cognizant of are some exam that he had today and the fact that he PR'd in bench press over the weekend, and the only reason I pay attention to that one is because he hits his chest really hard when he talks about it.

"Well," Monika announces from the other side of Sayori, "how about we all get to know each other?"

_

 _(Notes: This chapter went through an ungodly amount of revisions at the last minute. So, it unfortunately isn't as good as it could be. Even the surprise I mentioned last chapter was mostly removed, so sorry about that. But, once I got on the right track, I started seeing so many opportunities for Monika's future development. Fun, right? As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	24. Tuesday, The Club (Part 2)

**_I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

"Alright everyone," Natsuki announces, placing a tray of cupcakes in the middle of the table. "Who's ready for cupcakes?"

Sayori is the only one to reply with "Me!" She looks around at everyone else. "What's wrong? Not ready for cupcakes?"

"Me," I sigh to encourage participation.

The others at the table vocalize their support of the cupcakes one by one, and we all start taking them out of the tray. While the ones Natsuki baked for my arrival in the club were decorated like cats, these ones are decorated like dogs and have chocolate frosting.

"Mm! It'sh good!" Sayori exclaims with her mouth full. "I regret being late yeshterday!"

I take a bite of my own cupcake. The chocolate is sweet, and the cake itself is really soft and fluffy. The little sugar flaps that serve as the dog's ears are pure sugar, so they're great as well.

"Yeah, it's really good," I agree. "You've made a lot of cupcakes in the last couple of days, haven't you Natsuki?"

"Yeah, I guess I have," Natsuki shrugs. "It's not like my dad will be upset with me using too many ingredients though, since I actually made these at Yashiro's house."

"She almost cleaned out my kitchen," Yashiro sighs.

"You went to his _house_?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yeah. His mom was nice."

"You didn't go into his bedroom, did you?"

"No thanks!" Natsuki's eyes widen when she sees my relieved look and she starts to lean forward towards me across the table, but glances at Yashiro before sitting back down. "W-Why would I be interested in what's in there? I-I'm not interested!"

"I didn't accuse you of being interested in that."

Yuri returns to the table and passes out cups of tea to all of the members. Once she sits down herself, Monika rises.

"Alright, how about we all introduce ourselves?" she suggests. "We'll go counter-clockwise. I'm Monika, the club President!"

"I'm Sayori, the Vice President!" Sayori says cheerfully, still holding my arm with one of hers.

"I'm Anon," I say, smiling at Kaitaro and Sashi.

"I'm Yashiro, I'm new here!" Yashiro says loudly, hitting his own chest again.

"I'm Natsuki," Natsuki says from across the table. "I bake!"

"I-I'm Yuri," Yuri says, smiling softly and slightly bowing her head. "Thank you all for coming into this club."

"I-I'm Kaitaro," the brown haired boy stutters, bowing his head. "Thank you for having me, and I'll try to contribute!"

"I'm Sashi," Sashi says plainly. "I'm new too."

"Alright," Monika says. "Sashi, Kaitaro, Yashiro, it's nice to have you all here. We won't do much today, since it's your first day. This'll be more of a 'get to know you' kind of meeting."

"What do you wanna know?" Sashi asks.

"Well, let's start with why you joined the club! You can go first, Sashi."

"Well..." Sashi tilts her head back and forth. "Really, I just came into the room yesterday for cupcakes. I'm not that interested in literature, but you all seemed like nice people, so I thought I'd give it a try."

"You could just hang out with us without joining the club," Natsuki points out.

"Eh, it's an excuse. I already like it here though, so I'll try to participate."

"Well, I appreciate that," Monika says with a smile. "How about you, Kaitaro?"

"O-Oh, well I do have an interest in literature," Kaitaro says hesitantly. "I enjoy reading, and I wrote for the school newspaper at my old school."

"Oh, did you transfer this year?" Yuri asks, and Kaitaro seems visibly less comfortable.

"Y-Yes, I did," he confirms, looking down at the desk.

"Well, we'll try to make you feel at home," Yuri says, smiling. "You said you like to read, right? What kind of books do you like?"

"I, uh, don't exactly like a single genre. Really, I enjoy any book that can make me think in a different way." Just like Yuri often does while talking about books, Kaitaro suddenly finds a rhythm to his words. "When I was writing for the school newspaper, we learned a lot about persuasive writing from the head writer. I think it's interesting to pick up on those devices while reading."

"Is that so? I find more interest in the storytelling aspect of stories," Yuri says, matching Kaitaro's interest. "Stories that take place in fantasy worlds, yet can still be interesting and compelling, are very impressive to me."

"I know what you mean. If the imagery is vivid, then..."

"They're in their own little world," Sayori whispers into my ear, hugging closer to my arm.

"It's going better than when I joined," I whisper back. "I couldn't even keep up with what she was talking about."

"Yeah, you're not really into that stuff, ehehe~"

Sayori leans her head on my shoulder and sighs, watching Kaitaro and Yuri talking. While she looks at them, smiling, I'm content to just look down at her. Even though she's smiling and she looks happy, I can't tell what's going on inside her head. She felt better after the therapist appointment, but... She had a nightmare last night, and then she said that other stuff earlier. I keep telling her that it'll be alright and she just needs some time, but if she still hurts in the meantime, then it makes me feel worse than I'll let her know. If she knows how worried I am, it'll only make her feel worse.

"Well, thanks for coming, Kaitaro," Monika says, bringing my attention back to the conversation. "I hope you enjoy your time here. How about you, Yashiro?"

Yashiro, who is sitting next to me, flinches and quickly looks up from the phone in his lap. "I-I, uh... S-Sorry, what was the question?"

"Why did you join the club?" Natsuki says, and I think she kicks him under the table. "Idiot."

"Ow, okay," Yashiro grunts. "I got _kicked_ out of the anime club, so I went around looking for any club that might have anything to do with manga or anime. I just happened to stop by, and I talked to Natsuki. So, here I am."

"So you're going to be her manga reading buddy?"

Natsuki shoots a sharp glare at Monika.

"I... guess so," Yashiro says hesitantly.

"That's great! I'm always worried about whether she has any friends who share her interests," Monika says with a sweet smile.

"I have friends!" Natsuki objects., crossing her arms.

"I'm sure, I'm sure," Monika chuckles. "I meant that it's good to have friends that are interested in the same things as you."

Natsuki harrumphs and looks away.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, let's talk about club activities," Monika announces, standing up. "Over the last week, we've been writing poems every day to share with the club. There's nothing wrong with that, but I realized that it got pretty dull after doing it every single day. So, to keep our creative wells full, I think we should come up with some other activities for the club."

"Writing poems? That's all you've been doing?" Sashi asks. "I know I wouldn't be able to last a whole week!"

"It was tough, for sure," Sayori sighs. "But it still felt good to express my feelings on paper."

"We won't abandon poems," Monika clarifies. "But, doing it every day isn't necessarily good. We could also do reading circles, lessons on subjects of literature, or any number of things. Now that we have more members, especially, we should take the club more seriously."

"I like that the club is laid back, though," Natsuki says. "I guess I don't mind some group activities, but I also want some time to just hang out."

"I don't think that's such a bad thing. And what about everyone else? Who thinks we should have some relaxation time during club meetings?"

Sayori's hand shoots up first, followed closely by Yashiro's. Sashi and I also raise our hands, then Yuri raises hers slightly. After looking around at everyone for a small moment, Kaitaro raises his hand too.

"Aha! Then it's unanimous!" Monika laughs. "So our meetings will be rest and relaxation, followed by scheduled daily activities. Does anyone have any ideas for tomorrow's activity?"

"Eh, I can't think of anything," Sayori sighs. "All we've ever really done is write poems, huh?"

"Exactly. This is a literature club, not just a poem club."

"My class did something recently," I suggest, "where we took a passage from a piece of literature and analyzed the literary devices."

"Ooh, that's a good idea!" Sayori says, squeezing my arm.

"What kind of passages did you analyze?" Monika asks.

"A couple of poems, there was a passage from a novel, and we even did it with a song."

"I think that's a great idea," Yuri says, leaning forward. "If we analyze literary archetypes, diction, and other devices, then it can help make our poems more expressive."

"Well then, I guess I'll pick a passage at home," Monika says. "We can analyze it as a group."

Everyone says "Yeah!" almost simultaneously.

"Okay, everyone! I guess we should wrap the meeting up with that!" Monika stands up and claps her hands. "Let's clean everything up!"

We all clear the cupcake wrappings and crumbs, and return the tea cups to Yuri, then move the desks back to their normal positions. Sayori just tags along with me the whole time, and I really don't mind. It just reminds me how much I mean to her, and I honestly feel so happy about that that it almost distracts me from the reason that she clings to me so desperately.

"Ready to go home, Anon?" Sayori says quietly, gripping my arm a little too tightly.

"Sure," I say, ignoring the loss of circulation to one hand and patting her hair with the other.

"Hey guys, do you mind if I come too?" Yashiro asks, walking up behind us. "I don't live too far from you guys."

"I do mind," Sayori states quickly. She turns towards my ear, whispering, almost whimpering, "I can't... I can't hold it in anymore..."

Code red.

"Sorry Yashiro," I say, pulling Sayori with me out of the clubroom. "We gotta get going!"

"S-See you tomorrow!" he calls out after us as we make our way to the stairs.

After going down one flight of steps, Sayori starts sobbing into my shoulder. I hold her to me with my free arm and guide her down the stairs to the first floor, then outside.

"Calm down Sayori," I sigh, wiping the tears under her eyes with my thumb as we walk. "Come on babe, just breathe."

"I... I don't... Uuuh..." Sayori pants, still clinging to my arm. "Anon, why am I so stupid?"

"Y-You aren't stupid."

"Yes I am!" she exclaims, tears falling less violently now from her eyes. "D-Dr. Sakarai... H-He said to be more open with y-you..."

"Yeah, that's right. Tell me anything." I hold her head to my shoulder and lean my head down to kiss her cheek. "Tell me everything."

"Y-Yesterday... My arm... I-I didn't tell you why I did it, r-really."

"Well, you said that you were debating whether I'd be better off with or without you." Suddenly, my brain stains my thoughts with the nightmare I had Sunday night. Being better off without her... My brain slowly puts together what she meant as she starts talking.

"I d-did it because... It was all I c-could do to stop m-myself from doing something w-worse!"

"Sayori!" I cry, stopping walking and pulling her into a tight hug. "I-I don't know what I'd do without you!"

"I-I know! T-That's why I did that to my arm! A-And when you said those things today d-during lunch... I just felt guilty."

"Sayori... Does it really feel so bad that you considered doing that?"

"Y-Yeah..." She pressed her face to my shoulder and takes a few deep breaths. "I-I'm so sorry Anon."

"Don't apologize, dummy!" I start stoking her hair with my hand. "Please... Never leave me, Sayori."

"I won't!"

We stand there for a few moments, just holding each other. Sayori isn't crying anymore, just sniffling, but I'm definitely fighting a losing battle to hold back my tears. I can't even imagine life without her. Even before we started dating, she was a constant in my life... What would I even do if she does that? What _could_ I do? We would keep holding each other longer, but we're interrupted.

"Well, I should've just stayed behind."

I look up to see Yashiro standing next to us. He's just looking at the ground, and he actually looks upset. Sayori doesn't look up from my shoulder.

"We told you not to come with us," I say quietly.

"You left so fast that I got suspicious," he explains, looking up at us.

"Suspicious of what?"

"Nevermind that."

"... H-How much did you hear?" I ask while continuing to run my hand through Sayori's hair.

"The whole thing. But, I think I'm missing some context."

I sigh and whisper down to Sayori, "Should I tell him?"

"Sure, it's too late now," she sniffles.

"Come on Yashiro," I sigh. "I'll tell you on the way home."

I'm getting tired of telling this story. Besides, I'm not sure if Sayori exactly likes to hear me tell people over and over again. But, I'll be with her the whole time, for what that's worth.

_

 _(Notes: Hey, so I'mma need some suggestions for club activities for the future_ _. Also, here's emotional trainwreck Sayori! She'll be getting the first dose of depression meds next chapter, and I'll finally stop procrastinating on the poems they were going to use for the festival too. As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	25. Tuesday, After The Club

**_I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

Sayori is silent the whole time while I explain everything to Yashiro. Her depression, the events of yesterday, the living situation, and the meaning of the conversation he had walked in on. Yashiro's expression grows more sour as he hears more of the story, until the telling is over. Once we reach the turn for his walk, we just stand in silence on the street corner. The only sound that breaks the silence is Sayori's occasional sniff.

"I-I uh," Yashiro finally stutters. "I'm sorry for being such an ass all the time."

"Language," Sayori mutters, looking up at Yashiro from my shoulder.

"R-Right, sorry," Yashiro apologizes with an uncomfortable chuckle. "I just... I had no idea... A-And I'm sorry for what I said yesterday too! A-About you two being late!"

"You better be," Sayori says with a huff.

"We should go," I sigh. "Her mom should have gotten the depression medication by now."

"Yeah... I hope you feel better Sayori." Yashiro gives us a thumbs up and maybe the most genuinely kind smile I've ever seen from him."If you guys ever need anything, I really don't live that far away."

"Alright, I'll let you know," I say, smiling in return. "See you tomorrow, Yashiro."

"See you guys."

Yashiro waves as he walks off down his street. This is what I meant when I said that he's a good guy if you get to know him. Behind all of the dirty jokes and rough demeanor, he really cares about his friends, and he's pretty dependable if you need him to be. I think that he's talking to himself as he walks home, though.

"Sayori, I'm... I'm sorry I let it get that bad," I say quietly.

"It wasn't your fault Anon," Sayori whispers, moving her arms from around my arm to around my torso.

"I know," I sigh, hugging her around her shoulders. "I just wish I did more."

"I-If we didn't... If we didn't do those things over the weekend, then... I don't think I could have stopped myself... I only held on because I knew you'd hurt if I didn't. Y-You saved my life, Anon!"

"You shouldn't need to be saved at all. Sayori..." I bring my hand up to her cheek and move her head to look at me. "Promise me that you'll never do anything like that."

"I-I won't! I'll be with you forever!" Sayori sniffles and a tear falls which I quickly wipe away.

"Did you tell the psychologist about it?"

"N-No, but I think he knows that I've thought about it..."

"... We should let you take your medicine," I say, pulling her with me in the direction of her house. "Let's go."

"Mhm," she agrees, walking next to me and holding me.

It isn't too long before we reach her house, since we do live near Yashiro. Mrs. Saitō's car is in the driveway when we arrive, giving me hope that she has the medicine already. We walk up through the gate and to the door, Sayori holding me the whole time. Sayori opens the perpetually unlocked door and we walk in.

"Mom, we're home!" Sayori calls out as we take off our shoes.

Mrs. Saitō peeks her head out from the kitchen and waves, replying with, "Welcome back you two!"

We make our way to the kitchen, where Mrs. Saitō is unloading groceries.

"Hey Mom," Sayori says, "did you already get my medicine?"

Mrs. Saitō gestures to a paper bag on the counter. "Oh, yeah. It's right there in that bag."

"Should I take it now, or...?"

"Yeah, go ahead. It's one pill per day, so you can take it every day after school."

We both set down our backpacks outside the kitchen. Sayori walks over to the fridge and grabs a water bottle, then takes the pill bottle out of the bag.

"How long until she feels any better?" I ask Mrs. Saitō, watching Sayori swallow the medicine.

"Supposedly, it usually takes about 6 weeks to start working," Mrs. Saitō sighs.

"6 weeks?!" I exclaim. "That's way too long!"

"It could be faster with the therapy added on," she says, standing up from the pantry. "Do you mind helping me put this stuff away?"

"Oh, uh, sure," I say, grabbing groceries from the counter. "Where do you want the pickles?"

Sayori joins us, and the groceries are all put away fairly quickly. Once that's done, Mrs. Saitō shoos us away to start on our homework while she watches TV. First we take off our school uniforms and change into more comfortable day wear, then we take our homework into Sayori's bedroom to work together.

"6 weeks, huh?" Sayori huffs, taking out her math book and sitting on the floor.

"It's too long," I agree, opening up my binder. "You shouldn't need to wait that long."

"It's alright," Sayori says, looking up at me. "As long as I'm with you."

"Yeah, yeah," I sigh, scooting to sit next to her. "Same here babe."

"Ehehe~" Sayori giggles as she leans in to kiss my lips. "Hmm, it's still so hard to believe. T-That we're dating, I mean."

"This is just the 5th day," I say, running a hand through her hair. "We haven't even been going out for a week yet."

"It feels like so much has happened so fast..."

"We've definitely been pretty busy. Speaking of busy, how much homework do you have?"

"Oh, just math and science... and history. I have to study for an English test, too."

"I don't have to study for a test, so I'll help you once I'm done with my homework."

"Sounds good to me," Sayori sighs, laying on the floor and starting on her first math problem.

I get started on my homework too. We both go between different assignments, and even help each other out on our papers. Between, there are a few times where we end up getting tangled on the floor, laughing, and start kissing and cuddling. I've never had this much fun doing my homework in my life. Sure it isn't very time efficient, but we end up getting most of it done before Mrs. Saitō calls us to eat dinner.

"It's just a beef bowl tonight," Mrs. Saitō sighs apologetically. "I got too caught up in a TV show and didn't have time to make anything better."

"It's fine with me," I say with a light chuckle. "This is still way fancier than I usually manage for myself."

"Besides, everything you make tastes great, Mom!" Sayori says with a wide smile.

"Thanks, but this really isn't my best effort," Mrs. Saitō sighs again.

After swallowing a piece of beef, I speak up, "I think it tastes great! Thanks a lot, Mrs. Saitō!"

"Mhm!" Sayori hums in agreement with her mouth full.

"Aha, well I'm glad you like it. How are you two doing on your homework?"

"Moshtly done!" Sayori says with another mouthful.

"Yeah, then she needs to study for an English test," I add.

"Boo!" Sayori exclaims.

"I'll leave if you don't study."

"N-No! Y-You wouldn't do that!"

"No I wouldn't, but you're going to study anyway."

"Eeeh, but Ano~n!"

Mrs. Saitō chuckles as she watches us go back and forth. "Are you sure you two aren't distracting each other by doing homework in the same room?"

"Eh, only a little bit," Sayori admits. "B-But it'd be way more distracting if he wasn't there!"

"How so?"

"Every time I start spacing out, he makes me keep working!" Sayori says, nodding her head. "He's a good influence!"

"And I don't think I'd be able to get anything done either," I say. "I'd be worrying too much."

"Y-Young love!" Mrs. Saitō squeaks and chokes back tears.

" _Mooooom!_ " Sayori groans and I chuckle at her exasperated face.

The three of us finish the food soon enough and clean up, and then Sayori and I make our way back to our homework. I finish mine first and lay down next to Sayori on the floor, who has herself covered with a blanket that looks suspiciously comfy.

"Coming along well?" I inquire, looking at the field of physics equations on her paper.

"Yeah, I just have to solve two more electromagnet circuits," she sighs, sounding somewhat content.

"Do you need any help?" I put my hands on her shoulders from behind.

"Nope! Just stay there and watch! Ehehe~"

Sure enough, Sayori demonstrates that she knows how circuits work, muttering about the relationships of current and voltage between resistors in series and parallel. Once she finishes, she slams her binder shut on the paper.

"Done!" she shouts, standing up then falling back into her bed. "Anon, what do you wanna do now?"

"Study for your English exam," I deadpan.

"Boo!"

"C'mon, get up," I say, grabbing her hands and pulling her up from the bed.

When Sayori gets up, she immediately grabs me around the waist. "I don't wanna!"

"At least the vocabulary part."

"Grrr," Sayori grumbles, holding me tighter. "Fine."

"I'll help," I say, rubbing her shoulders. "It won't be that bad."

Sayori sighs and opens up her binder to take out the vocabulary sheet. Really it's all memorization, so it isn't too difficult to get into a rhythm. We're at it for about half an hour before Sayori plops onto her bed again.

"Done!" she exclaims.

"There's more than just vocab babe."

"Don't call me that while you're trying to make me study!"

"Why not?" I laugh, laying down next to her on the bed.

"Because it doesn't make me want to do homework. It makes me want..." She looks over at me, smiling a bit, and puts her hands around my shoulders. "It makes me wanna kiss you..."

"If you insist–" I start before Sayori pulls me into her lips.

"Can we take a little break?" she whispers, pulling away so slightly that our lips are actually still brushing with each other.

"Yeah, I guess," I concede, pecking her lips slightly.

Sayori rolls over on top of me, giggling, before leaning down and kissing me again. I put one of my hands around her back, and with the other I cup her cheek and brush the waves of her hair from her face. I open my eyes for a moment, and all I can see is the red blush that's spread across her cheeks and her nose. Sayori lets my lips go for a second to breathe.

"Y-You're feeling better?" I ask, panting.

"A bit," Sayori huffs. "I just... feel so safe with you."

"Safe from what?" I ask, still breathing heavily.

"Myself," she says before coming right back down, and I surrender to the warmth as she grips my shoulders. We hold each other there, continuing to kiss for even longer than the first time. "Aaah," she exhales as she finally pulls herself back up. "I love you... so much Anon."

"I... love you too," I pant, trying to regain my own breath.

We stay there, looking at each other for a while. I memorize every detail of her face, from her soft eyes to her wide blush to her small smile. It's hard to believe that I didn't realize my feelings until just a few days ago. And we just had our first kiss yesterday, yet here we are now, comfortable like it's always been the case. Was I really just that dense before? I can't help but chuckle a little at my own stupidity.

"Ehehe~ What's so funny?" Sayori giggles along with me.

"Nothing, nothing. Just thinking."

"Thinking 'bout what?"

"We only had our first kiss yesterday, and now look at us."

"Ehehe, I guess so," Sayori says, leaning down and kissing my cheek. "I just thought that, since we already had our first kiss, we wouldn't need to worry about that."

"Are you mocking what I said yesterday?" I chuckle.

"A little bit, ehehe~... Yesterday... Oh the festival!" She suddenly jerks up with wide eyes.

"What about it?" I ask, growing a bit concerned and sitting up.

"We never saw each other's poems!" she exclaims, stumbling off of the bed to grab her backpack.

"O-Oh right, I forgot!" I say, getting up as well to grab my folder from my backpack.

_

 _(Notes: Next week, I'll finally get those poems out of the way. I mean it. Really. Also, Sayori is gonna be a happy girl for the next couple chapters! Don't worry though, she'll be sad again soon enough! I guess she's going to be in for some high highs and low lows. Also, I'm pretty certain that I'll do that less appropriate follow-up story that I mentioned a while back. It'll be a while before then, but just in case you were wondering. As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	26. Tuesday Night

_(Unrelated Note: I'm excited to finally announce that project I've been working on! It's a **My Hero Academia** fic! Pretty much, the premise is about Midoriya being born with a Quirk. I know, boring right? Well, I've seen fics about him getting plenty of Quirks, but I haven't seen one fleshed out about him getting telekinesis from his mother. Let's just say that it works pretty well in tandem with the Quirk of a certain brunette cinnamon roll, and the two get along even better than in canon! Like, their Quirks are a bit overpowered together. I've pre-written through the USJ Arc, but that's all that there is so far. I'll start posting at the end of next week, if you're interested. If not, then I hope you enjoy this chapter of DDLC: The Most Important Person!)_

 _(Related Note: A recent comment actually kinda made me want to tell you guys about something relating to 'what could have been'. I actually planned to have Yashiro and Monika together at first, since she's lonely and I thought Yashiro would immediately go for the prettiest/most popular girl there. It wouldn't have lasted long though, since Monika is looking for 'real' love, and Yashiro would've eventually gotten close to Natsuki anyways. Decided to cut it out in favor of brevity.)_

 ** _I do not_** ** _own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

 ** _Eviction_**

 _Get_ _out, that place is spoken for._

 _Get_ _out, I've lost hope that you'll just fade._

 _Get_ _out, let me show you the door._

 _Get_ _out, because another tenant's paid._

 _Get_ _out, I'm too tired of hiding you away._

 _Get_ _out, so I can take shelter in a rainy day._

 _Get_ _out of my head, get out of my head, get out of my head._

 _Get_ _out of my heart, so that he can live there instead._

_

Sayori gives me her poem first. Really, it doesn't seem like there's a lot of symbolism, and it's pretty short, although I can't say mine is any different. It still hits me pretty heavily though, considering what she's been going through. But what does this mean exactly? Is she just talking about her depression, or is there something else going on in her head? At least it seems optimistic, I think. I mean, it's been 3 days since she wrote this and a lot's happened, so I don't really know if it applies now anyways. I look at her, but she's just looking down at the ground as she sits next to me on the bed.

"Hey Sayori," I say, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I like this one."

"Y-You do?" she asks, looking up at me a bit timidly. "I-I kinda forgot what I wrote it about, since a lot's happened in between."

"What did you want to get out?" I ask, lifting up my hand to brush the ends of her hair.

"The... negativity, I think?" Her brow furrows in concentration. "Self-doubt, all that."

"Has it gotten out?"

"Maybe some of it."

"Hey babe," I whisper, lightly pushing her cheek to look at me.

"Y-Yeah?" Sayori looks up at me, her eyes glistening a little bit.

"I'll push the negativity out myself." I lean in and meet her lips with mine. "No matter what it takes, okay?"

"Y-Yeah," she says, nodding her head and smiling at me. "C-Can I see yours?"

"Sure," I say, leaning down and pulling the piece of paper out of my folder. "Here you go."

_

 ** _Tomorrow_**

 _Yesterday might be_ _good_

 _Filled_ _with_ _memories_

 _Where_ _you once_ _stood_

 _Void_ _of injuries._

 _Yesterday_ _might be_ _miserable_

 _Filled_ _with_ _regrets_

 _Where_ _you might have_ _stumbled_

 _Failed_ _all life's tests._

 _Yesterday_ _cannot be changed,_

 _It_ _is about absolute fact._

 _No_ _matter the force's domain,_

 _What's_ _done is just that._

 _To_ _look forward and determine your_ _fate_

 _Is_ _the only force that exists,_

 _For_ _tomorrow was meant to be_ _shaped_

 _By_ _our humble human fists._

_

Sayori reads it and smiles, before reading it a second time. Then she hands it back to me without saying anything.

"Well?" I inquire, trying to read her smiling face.

"Well, what do you want tomorrow to be?" She asks, scooting closer to me and putting her arms around my middle.

"... Happy," I answer after a few moments, putting my arms around her and pulling her into a snug embrace.

"Ehehe~... Well, I liked your poem," she sighs into my shoulder as she pulls herself closer. "Because it's true, y'know?"

"Yeah, I guess it was just on my mind at the time," I say softly through her hair that's pressed up against my lower face. "So, in the interest of making tomorrow a great day, let's prepare you some more for that test."

"You're the worst, ehe~," she sighs with a tiny giggle.

"No, the worst is whoever doesn't do good on their exams."

"You're a meanie."

"You're a dummy."

"Ehehe~," Sayori giggles again as she tilts her head up and kisses me. "If it'll make you happy."

"It will," I say as I pet the top of her head with my hand.

"Alrighty!" Sayori hops off of the bed and grabs some notes out of her backpack. "Parts of speech and punctuation, bleh."

"You need to learn English Sayori. Might as well do it right."

"Yeah, whatever whatever. Let's just get it over with."

–30 minutes later–

" _Done_!" Sayori exclaims, falling back on her bed. "All done for the night!"

"Good job, I'm proud of you babe," I praise as I zip up my own backpack. "You've earned some relaxation time."

Sayori already has her phone out. "Wow, I didn't realize that I haven't been on my phone that much recently! I've missed a lot!"

"What's up?" I ask, sitting down next to her on the bed.

"Nothing, it's just something that Juiyo posted," she dismisses. "Hey, did you know that camels eat cacti?"

"Why would I know that?" I ask, before realizing what she said. "Wait, they eat cacti?"

"Yeah. Apparently their mouths are hard, so it doesn't hurt them. Weird, right?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, there's someone who's swimming all the way from Japan to San Francisco in America! That's neat!"

"Access the entire Pacific? Sorry, but I'm not buying that."

"Really, look! See?" Sayori shows me a news article about it on her phone.

"He's not gonna make it there," I say, shrugging. "It just can't be done all at once."

"Boo, you have no faith!"

"It's not gonna happen."

"Well..." Sayori flicks her screen a few times. "Aha! There was an asteroid that hit Earth a couple of days ago! Cool, huh?"

"I guess. Are you just looking at headlines?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"Well, I guess I'll just be on my phone too."

We end up laying next to each other on the bed on our phones for about another hour. The whole time, we're showing each other funny things on our phones and engaging in general conversation. Such conversation topics include the new club members, a little bit of speculation on Natsuki and Yashiro (which Sayori wholeheartedly disapproves of), and plenty of other things. Sayori also gets onto her computer and we watch a few of the trending YouTube videos. It's the kind of lazy evening that one might imagine in some far off perfect world, except that it's real. I'm fortunate enough to be able to do this with the girl that I love. Of course life isn't ever perfect for anyone, but right now it feels like it is. I look up at the time on my phone, and frown at the late hour.

"We should probably go to bed," I sigh, standing up.

"Eh? Oh yeah, I guess."

"Your mom said we could sleep together from now on, right?"

"Yeah, she did. I'm glad, ehehe~" Sayori hugs me from behind and almost pushes me out of the room. "Do you want a water?" she asks, walking toward the kitchen.

"Yeah, thanks babe," I say, grinning at her.

"Yuh-huh," she confirms giddily, making her way to the fridge.

"So, are you two going to sleep?" Mrs. Saitō asks, suddenly appearing from the living room.

"U-Uh, yeah, we are," I stutter, knowing fully well that she doesn't like the idea.

"Well I hope you both get a full, restful night of sleep. Got it?"

"Yeah, I know. We're both sleeping soundly tonight."

Mrs. Saitō stares me down for a moment, before nodding her head. "I'm going to bed too. Goodnight." Sayori returns with the waters, and her mother gives her a big hug and kiss on the forehead before bidding her goodnight as well.

"Let's change and brush our teeth," I say, taking a water bottle from Sayori and drinking from it.

"Alright, one sec," Sayori says before walking into her room and closing the door.

I take the cue to walk into the guest bedroom and change into my own pajamas. I plug my phone in and go to the bathroom, where Sayori meets me and we brush our teeth. Once we're done, I follow Sayori into her bedroom.

"Ooh, I'm beat," she sighs, sitting down on her bed. She smiles at me with a tiny blush visible on her face. "I'm so glad Mom is letting us sleep together."

"Yeah, me too," I say, crawling across to the other side of the bed. "Before anything else, set the alarm."

"Right," she says with a giggle and leans over to set the alarm on her phone.

I look down at the pillow, and notice that the pig plushie that I got her is sitting on it. Which is weird, because I didn't notice it while I was in here all afternoon. I grin as I look at it, because it really is more than just a plushie, like Sayori said when we first got it. It represents more than that to her, so it means more to me too. When Sayori turns back around from setting the alarm, she picks up the pig, gives it a kiss, and sits it with the yellow bird she has on the windowsill.

"I don't need that tonight," she sighs as she lays down and hits the light switch, which is conveniently right next to her bed. "I have you."

"You slept with that last night?" I ask as I feel her arms wrap around me, then wrap mine around her.

"Well, I tried to," she giggles. "I ended up going to your room anyways."

"I'm glad that you did," I whisper before pulling her closer and kissing her. "I want you to always be as happy as possible."

"Ehehe~, that's easy if I'm with you," she replies softly before leaning back in and kissing me.

We end up laying there, holding and kissing each other for a while. I don't know how long, and I really don't know why either. Whether we didn't want to stop, or we didn't know how to, or maybe we just didn't know what the other wanted. But eventually, I pull from her lips and hug her tightly, putting my head over her shoulder.

"We should go to sleep," I whisper, breathing a little heavily and pressing my cheek against hers.

"Y-Yeah," she says, also breathing heavily. "Y-You're so warm, and comforting... You're like the world's best pillow, ehehe~"

"Yeah, you are too. Goodnight babe."

"Mhmhm, g'night babe," she mumbles, wrapping me tighter for a moment before loosening up. "Seeya in the mornin'..."

"Mm hm," I sigh, letting go of my consciousness and surrendering to our shared warmth.

_

 _(Notes: Alright so here's the deal. I have finals this week, so my next update will probably be a little delayed. After that, it's summer and I can dedicate more time to this! Thanks for the continued support, it really means a lot. So next chapter will be Wednesday morning. I'm probably going to keep this going until Saturday, which will be Sayori's next therapist appointment. Seems like a good place to leave it, although a single week might not be exactly enough time to handle the rest of the club like I'll probably want to (I don't know, I'm still making this up as I go). As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you in the next update!)_


	27. Wednesday Morning

_(Unrelated note: The first chapter of my My Hero Academia_ _fic just released this morning! In case you were wondering, I mean.)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

I'm woken up by an alarm, which is normal aside from the fact that it isn't my own alarm. I open my eyes and look over to the source of the sound, but there's some strawberry red hair blocking my view. Oh, yeah.

"Hey babe, get the alarm," I mutter, wiping my hand against my face.

"Mm, five minutes..." Sayori mumbles, pressing into me.

"Don't do that again," I sigh.

"Ask again in five minutes," she says again quietly.

"Ugh," I sigh, reaching across her to turn the alarm off.

"Ehehe~, don't push me around," she giggles as the alarm stops screaming.

I smile down at her. "What am I gonna do with you?" I lean down and kiss her.

"Bleh, you have morning breath!" she giggles, pushing me up.

"You do too," I laugh with her. "... We should get up."

"You go shower," she sighs. "I'll sleep a bit more. It's cozy."

"Yeah, okay," I say, standing up. I resist the urge to kiss her again, and instead tap her nose with my index finger, which she meets with a little giggle.

I head to the guest room to grab my uniform and a towel, checking my phone in the process, before going into the bathroom to begin my shower. As I have in the past few days, I let my mind once again wander about Sayori.

I'm glad that she seems to be doing better, but after what happened yesterday I'm worried. Dr. Sakarai said that it's a bad thing for her to become dependant on me, and I can see why. If she feels happy and safe with me, then the pain she feels when she's alone will just feel even worse by comparison, right? So it's more important in the long run for her to feel happy on her own. But I don't know how to help her feel better when I'm not around. Maybe I need to be with her less often, but I don't know if that's even safe right now given what Dr. Sakarai said. It's too late and it's already dangerous for her if I'm not around. Why did I have to screw this up so badly?

I get dressed and brush my teeth before walking out of the bathroom. Unlike yesterday, Sayori isn't rushing in past me to go to the bathroom, so I walk to her room to wake her up. I look in and see that she's laying on her side facing away from me.

"C'mon babe," I whisper, kneeling next to the bed. "Time to shower."

"Five minutes," she says softly.

"The sooner you get up, the sooner we eat breakfast."

She rolls over and looks up at me with puppy dog eyes. "Breakfast in bed?"

"Breakfast at table after you shower," I say, shaking my head and grinning. "Get up."

Sayori grumbles and slowly sits up in her bed, before stretching and letting out a yawn. "I don't wanna go to school," she sighs as she stands up.

"I don't either, but we gotta," I say, patting her shoulder. "Now move it."

I walk out as Sayori starts grabbing her uniform and make my way to the kitchen to see what's here for breakfast. Looking out the window, I see that Mrs. Saitō's car is still there, so she must be asleep. Now as for breakfast... Mrs. Saitō got groceries yesterday, so there's a healthy supply of options. I feel like Sayori would like it if I make her breakfast, so I grab an egg, vanilla, cinnamon and milk, along with bread. This is the beginning of french toast, folks.

I whisk together the french toast batter before dipping the slices of bread in, then place those slices on the heated skillet. While those cook, I grab some bacon from the fridge and put it in the microwave (that's right, it's microwaveable bacon). I flip each of the pieces of toast over and let them sit there for a bit again. Then, I scoop the pieces of french toast onto two plates, two pieces on each plate, and retrieve the bacon as well. Once the plates are set on the table, I sprinkle some powdered sugar over the toast and cover them with maple syrup. By now, Sayori's shower has stopped.

"Sayori," I call into the bathroom, "breakfast is ready!"

"Okaayy!" she shouts back. "One minute~!"

I walk back to the kitchen and set out napkins and silverware before cleaning up the skillet, spatula, and mixing bowl. By the time I'm done cleaning, Sayori walks into the kitchen dressed in her uniform. Her hair is damp and her bow is about as crooked as always, and she lifts her head and sniffs the air.

"Mmm, smells good," she says warmly, smiling as she sits down. "You made this?"

"Yeah," I exhale as I sit down. "I hope it's good. I didn't exactly follow a recipe."

"It's great!" she says confidently before even taking a bite. Once she does bite into the french toast, she considers it for a little bit before giggling, "You're lucky I like cinnamon!"

"A bit too much?"

"Maybe a little."

I take a bite of my own french toast to assess the damage. Really, it actually isn't bad. Just a little bit too much cinnamon, and maybe a bit too much vanilla as well. In terms of french toast at least. I actually like it quite a bit.

"It's not a heinous crime, is it?" I ask, looking at my girlfriend.

"No," she giggles. "And you've already made up for it with this bacon."

"Well, it _is_ bacon, right?"

"It is," she hums as she takes another bite.

"Good morning you two," I hear Mrs. Saitō's voice say as she walks into the kitchen.

"Mornin' Mom!" Sayori says happily, smiling at her mother.

"Good morning," I say too.

"How did you both sleep last night?" she asks both of us, while looking directly at me.

"Really good!" Sayori says brightly. "I only woke up once from a nightmare!"

"Ah, that's... good?" Mrs. Saitō asks more than says.

"You usually have more than one?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Eh, sometimes," she says nervously. "U-Usually one or two."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" I ask, already perfectly aware of why she wouldn't wake me up.

"B-Because, you need your sleep!" she protests, standing up a little in her seat before realizing and sitting back down. Then she looks down at the table, saying quietly, "B-Besides, it's comforting enough just laying with you."

Mrs. Saitō's face scrunches up, and I think she can't decide whether or not that was extremely cute. Which it was.

I reach over and grab Sayori's hand. "If you don't wake me up at some point tonight, I'll be mad."

Sayori pouts, but nods her head and squeezes my hand before taking another bite of french toast. Meanwhile, Mrs. Saitō is still struggling to decide what to make of this. Finally, Sayori glances up at her mom to see her weird facial squeezing.

"W-What's wrong Mom?" Sayori quickly asks, genuinely concerned for her well-being.

"Y-You two are..." Mrs. Saitō has trouble continuing, as if it hurts her to do so. "SO CUTE!!" A tear falls down the woman's face.

"M-Mom!" Sayori exclaims, blushing.

Mrs. Saitō starts crying and Sayori stands up to calm her down, practically begging her to stop crying. I'd probably be pretty embarrassed under normal circumstances, but given what's happened over the past week, I find this situation more amusing than anything. Once everyone calms down, Sayori and I finish breakfast, make our lunches, and head out for school.

"I wonder what Monika is gonna pick as the passage for the club," Sayori ponders as we hold hands and walk. "Probably something from a popular book or a poem, huh?"

"Maybe," I dismiss. "Hey Sayori, how are you feeling?"

"I... I-I'm good." she says reluctantly.

"Sayori, even I could tell that that was a lie," I sigh, squeezing her hand. "Do you think you'll be fine today? Because yesterday, you kinda broke down."

"I-I'll be fine!" she insists. "I-I just worry when you're not around."

"Worry about what?"

"... I don't know..."

"Yes you do know."

"D-Do you..." she looks down, curling her lips a little. "Do you think a-about me? D-During the school day?"

"Yeah, I do," I say, looking down at her. "It helps me through my day to know that I'll see you when it's over."

"That's good..." she sighs. "I think about you... And I always worry about you and if I'm too much trouble, and I know that it's stupid but I can't help it! A-And I just–"

"Sayori, calm down," I interrupt, wiping a tear from her eye. "Just focus on school, not me."

"H-How can I though?" she grips my hand tighter and holds my arm with her other hand. "Being away from you feels..."

"Sayori, it's doing me a favor," I assure. "I really want you to do well in school, so do it for me, 'kay? Also, try not to think about it as being away from me. Think like... Being with me during lunch is something to look forward to."

"S-So we're hanging out during lunch again?" she asks, looking up hopefully.

"Yeah, unless you don't want to," I laugh. "I don't want to make you feel obligated or anything."

"No, no! I definitely want to!" she insists, squeezing my arm.

"Alright, I get it!" I chuckle. "Let's meet at the same table we met at yesterday."

"Mhm, okay!" she smiles brightly.

We approach and enter the school, eventually stopping in the courtyard where most kids socialize before class. Sayori lets my arm go, but is still holding my hand tightly. Neither of us say anything else, but I'm not sure there's anything else to say. We just stand together, surrounded by the amalgamation of activity from the others. Eventually, the bell rings and the students begin to disperse.

"Anon," Sayori says quietly, "I don't wanna leave."

"Well, we gotta," I sigh, placing a hand on her head. "I'll be thinking of you, so... try to be happy, okay?"

"Mhm," she nods her head. "I'll be thinking of you too."

I plant a kiss on her forehead, followed by her putting one on my cheek.

"I love you," she whispers as she pulls back. "I'll see you later babe."

"Yeah babe," I say back. "I love you too."

She smiles before reluctantly turning around and walking toward her classroom. I do the same, and start looking forward to lunch.

_

 _(Notes: I'm realizing that the most difficult chapters for me to write have consistently been club meetings, since there are more characters to keep track of and there are the club's activities. Also whenever food if involved. Unfortunately, those are pretty much the only kinds of chapters there are in this fic. Now that summer is here for me, I'll be able to involve myself a bit more in this, so hopefully I can push this through to a satisfying end! As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	28. Wednesday, Lunchtime

**_I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

The entire drama of my relationship with Sayori is over by now. Aside from a single passing comment from Haroki, it isn't even brought up once. I'm grateful for that, but it doesn't mean I'm not thinking about it the whole time. After what I told Sayori earlier, I feel a little hypocritical. I told her to focus on class instead of on me, but now I'm the one worrying about her. I'm worrying about whether she _can_ actually focus on class. And I know the last thing she'd want is for me to get distracted, but it's just so hard. I manage to pay enough attention to get through to lunch, but the day shuffles by too slowly.

When lunch does come, I follow the mass of students to the cafeteria, looking for Sayori but failing to find her. I make a quick stop at the restroom before heading to our table, where Sayori is still nowhere to be seen. I glance towards where her normal group sits, but I don't see her there either. At a loss, I sit down at the table and take out my lunch bag.

Sayori and I made our own lunches today, so it isn't exactly up to the same quality of yesterday's meal, but that isn't the reason I'm not eating. I have no idea where Sayori is, and it scares me more than it probably should. Because I don't trust her with herself. That might sound a little bit condescending, but it's completely true. I know that she relies on me so much, and I really expected her to be here before me. And I don't know why she isn't here.

Remembering that my phone is on silent, I look down and check it to see a message from Sayori. It reads ' _I'm running a bit behind, I'll be right there!_ ' and was sent 3 minutes ago. I sigh and rub my temple before taking a bite of my sandwich. Sayori's right. All of this worrying isn't good for me.

Soon enough, I hear Sayori's voice chirp, "Heeeyyy Anon!" from behind me. I turn, and see that Yuri and Kaitaro are tagging along with her. "I picked up some strays!"

"I see," I say before receiving a tackling hug from Sayori. "Aha, hey babe. How're you doing?"

"Mmm, alright," she sighs.

"You two are cute together," Yuri says, smiling warmly.

"Ah, you think so?" Sayori asks, sitting next to me at the table.

Yuri nods as she sits across from us, and then Kaitaro sits next to her, looking obviously uncomfortable.

"So... What brings you two here?" I ask Yuri and Kaitaro, hoping not to seem annoyed by their presence.

"Nothing in particular," Yuri says. "I was showing Kaitaro around, since he's new an all, and we ran into Sayori just a few minutes ago. She convinced us to stop by."

"Convinced?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at Sayori.

"Ah, well, I just thought it'd be nice for all of us to have some company," Sayori explains, before leaning in and whispering into my ear, " _Besides, I think Kaitaro needs some friends._ "

God, Sayori is so thoughtful. I sigh and pat her head, which causes her to blush and fluster madly. Yuri giggles at the display while Kaitaro looks on with mild interest.

"So Kaitaro," I say, turning to the boy sitting across from me.

"Y-Yes?!" he says quickly, sitting up at attention.

"Uh... W-What do you think of the club?" I ask, perplexed by his behavior.

"I-I think it's v-very nice," he stutters rapidly. "I look forward to seeing more of it."

"You don't have to be so formal," I chuckle. "Just chill out."

Kaitaro slouches and relaxes a little bit, but still seems a bit on edge. "A-Ah, okay."

I look at Sayori next to me, who has taken out her lunch and is now eating. I take another bite of my sandwich, and, also taking the cue, Kaitaro and Yuri take out their boxed lunches as well.

"I meant to ask you earlier," Yuri says to Kaitaro, "but how has this school compared to your old one?"

"I-It's nice," he stutters. "I-I like my teachers well enough, a-as well."

"Well, that's nice," Yuri smiles, taking a bite of the rice in her lunch.

"Actually, that reminds me," I say to Sayori. "Did you pay attention in class?"

"...M-Mostly," she admits after a moment. "I-It's harder than you'd think!"

"Yeah, I know," I sigh, reaching around and patting her shoulder. "Well, as long as it doesn't get you too down."

"No, I'm fine," she sighs. "I was looking forward to lunch a lot though."

"I was too."

Sayori leans against me as she continues to eat, and I continue eating as well. After a moment, I look up at Yuri and Kaitaro, who are continuing the conversation between the two of them. Yuri looks much more comfortable in one-on-one conversations, just like when we were preparing for the festival. And Kaitaro... Okay, he still looks uncomfortable, but a little less– Wait, is he holding a copy of Portrait of Markov?

"... and I wanted you to feel welcomed in the club and all," Yuri says, blushing slightly and smiling.

"Ah, I-I don't know w-what to say," Kaitaro stutters, cheeks reddening. "T-Thanks, I guess."

" _Hey A_ _non_ ," Sayori whispers. " _Do you think that's romantic for bookworms_ "

" _I don't know_ ," I respond. " _Maybe?_ "

Wait... If that's meant to be romantic, then what would that mean about the book that she gave me? Nah, it's not romantic, I guess.

"Anon?" Yuri asks, grabbing my attention from my own thoughts. "Did you get around to reading it?"

"Ah, no, sorry," I say, chuckling and scratching my neck. "I've kinda been busy since Friday." I squeeze Sayori's shoulder as I say it.

Yuri glances at Sayori, before nodding and saying, "I understand."

"Actually, you can have it back if you want," I sigh. "I probably won't get around to reading it."

"That's fine," Yuri says. "I have my own copy."

She had 3 copies of the book? Or did she buy the extras specifically for me and Kaitaro..? Is it actually supposed to be romantic or something? _Oh God, did she like me that way?_

"Hey Yuri, what do you think Monika will pick as the passage for the club meeting today?" Sayori asks, leaning forward. "I hope it's short."

"It probably won't be too long," Yuri says with a thought. "In any case, it's probably from a famous piece of literature."

"Probably," Sayori agrees. "But I wonder if it'll be from a book, or a poem, or maybe a song..."

"Does it matter?" I ask, shelving the idea of whatever emotions might have really been behind the finger incident. "We'll be doing the same kind of analysis either way."

"No, but I still wanna know..." Sayori pouts.

"Yeah, I guess I do too," I chuckle, holding her closer against me.

Sayori leans against me, sighing, and puts an arm around my back. Yuri giggles at it and I can feel Sayori shift a little bit, though she doesn't let go. Kaitaro is still uncomfortable in general.

"Yuri, what do you think is going on with Natsuki and Yashiro?" Sayori suddenly asks.

"W-What do I think?" Yuri ponders. "Well, they certainly get along well, since they share an interest in manga."

"Yeah, but Anon likes manga too, and this didn't happen with him," Sayori points out.

"I just stayed with you the whole time, Sayori," I sigh. "Yashiro and Natsuki apparently talked during the festival. And besides, he's _Yashiro_. There's no way he isn't trying to get closer to Natsuki."

"But that's the problem! It's _working_!" Sayori exclaims. "I can't lose Natsuki to Yashiro!"

"Why?" Yuri asks.

"Besides, she seems happy with whatever is happening," I offer.

"No! She's too cute for someone like Yashiro!" Sayori whines. "He doesn't deserve a cute girl! No, he doesn't deserve _any_ girl!"

"Sayori, calm down," I chuckle, as Yuri giggles as well. "He's not that bad, you know that."

"He is too!" she insists, gripping my blazer and staring me down with a serious face.

"What do you have against him, exactly?" Yuri asks.

"He's a total perv!" Sayori says.

"He's more foul mouthed than perverted," I argue. "He's a good guy, but he has some bad talking habits."

"Good guy or not, he's a perv."

"I talked to him, remember?"

"Well, that did a lot of good yesterday when he pissed off Natsuki."

"They were joking around."

"Still, they shouldn't be joking like that!"

"Then you should have a problem with Natsuki, not Yashiro."

"W-Well," Sayori thinks for a second before laughing nervously, "Ehehe, fine, I guess... But I still don't like him!"

Sayori squeezes my hand in hers as she sticks her tongue out at me jokingly, giggling the whole time. I'm about to tell her off when the bell rings, signaling for us to pack up and head for class. Sayori and I bid Yuri and Kaitaro goodbye until the club, but Sayori gives me a hug before we go our seperate ways.

"What's up?" I ask when the embrace lingers a bit too long.

"Just... gathering strength," she sighs, her voice muffled by my shoulder.

"You don't need it," I whisper, patting her back. "I believe in you."

"I believe in your belief," she says before letting it a small giggle.

"Alright. I'll see you later," I say, turning my head and kissing her cheek. "Love you babe."

"Love you too–" she says, before being cut off as Haroki moves in out of nowhere and grabs me.

"C'mon Romeo," he says with a smirk. "You'll be late for class if you get carried away."

"Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy," I complain, before waving back at Sayori one last time.

"Yeah, I'm sure you two will end up killing yourselves," he says sarcastically.

I have half a mind to punch him right now, but I stop myself. He doesn't know about how Sayori feels every day. And he can't. I want as few people to know as possible, and I can't let it slip. I settle for shoving him off of me. Well, there goes whatever attention I would've been able to give my afternoon classes.

_

 _(Notes: This chapter was really hard for me to write for some reason. I'm not that upset with how it turned out, but I just couldn't really put my focus on this. It might be because my other newer story is demanding a bit more attention, but I should've expected that. There is a much more passionate presence on this site from the MHA fandom. Still, I will not, under any circumstances, abandon this story. Not until I get to Saturday. As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	29. Wednesday, The Club (Part 1)

**_I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

My afternoon classes pass by pretty slowly. I would be able pay more attention, but what Haroki said earlier is bugging me a little bit. It's a reminder of what I need to do for Sayori. More specifically, a reminder that I have no idea what I need to do for her, and that is what distracts me from class. I remember when we went out together on Saturday, that I told her we'd go out on an official date. I know that Sayori would probably like to go out again instead of staying at her house all day every day. Not to be funny, but it seems a bit depressing to stay inside all day aside from school. By the time the bell rings to signal the end of the school day, I haven't come to any real conclusion about what to do for Sayori in terms of her depression. Despite that, I get up and start towards the clubroom.

Sayori meets me again by the same hallway as yesterday. Instead of grabbing me though, she simply begins walking along with me and slips her hand into mine, holding my arm with her other hand.

"Hey Anon!" she chirps as she holds me tightly against her.

"I missed you," I say as we keep walking. "Did you pay attention to class?"

"Yuh-huh," she confirms, nodding her head before leaning it against my shoulder. "And I missed you, too."

"Well, do you have a lot of homework tonight?" I ask.

"Yeah," Sayori sighs. "Since they didn't give us a lot of homework during the festival, they're making up for it by giving us more now."

"Well, I had homework during the festival, so I don't have any extra right now." I chuckle, "Sucks for your class."

"Eeeh? Meanie!" she accuses, looking up at me and pouting.

"Sorry, sorry," I laugh. "How about we stop by the vending machine on our way to the club? My treat."

"Y-You mean it?!" she asks, hopping up and down giddily.

"Yeah, of course," I say, before reaching over and patting her head with my free arm.

She hums and pushes up against my hand with her head. When I stop, she rests against my shoulder again with a sigh. We reach the vending machine soon, and we both get a cookie, just like last time. Sayori rocks her head side to side as we wait, the edge of her hair gently brushing against my shoulder again and again as she does.

"Hey Sayori," I say to get her attention. "Are you... happy?"

"Well, I guess so," she says with thought. "I'm happier, at least. I kinda came to a realization."

"What kind of realization?"

"Ehehe~ Not telling!" she teases, before reaching down and retrieving our cookies. She hands me mine, saying, "Here you go."

"Thanks," I say. "So, not telling me about that realization?"

"Nope," she giggles.

"Well, I was thinking," I start, looking down to see that she is already eating her cookie, "we still haven't planned out a date, right?"

"Mm? A date?" Her voice is muffled by the half of the cookie in her mouth as she looks up at me with her bright eyes.

"Yeah, a date. What do you say?"

"I'D LOVE TO!" she shouts through her still full mouth, before tackling me to the ground in a hug.

"Ow, my back," I laugh as she falls on top of me, and I put my arms around her.

She tries to push up off of me, saying, "Ohmygosh, Anon! I'm so sorry, are you hurt?!"

I hold her in my arms, laughing, "I'm fine, I'm fine!" I lean up and peck her lips and laugh as she gets flustered. "I love you Sayori."

"I-I love you too," she gets out, before I let her up. She turns around and mumbles to herself, " _Oh my God, he asked me out on a date, he asked me out on a date, he asked me_ –"

"Sayori, are you okay?" I interrupt, concerned.

"I'M GREAT! HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY?!" she shouts as she turns back towards me, her face growing red.

"Sayori, we're already a couple," I chuckle, getting up from the ground. "Why are you getting worked up over this?"

"I-I don't know! W-We've never gone on a date before! Where would we go? When?"

"I don't know, I was just suggesting," I say, still laughing. "H-How about Friday?"

"O-Okay!" Sayori squeaks, smiling brightly. She then takes another smaller bite of her cookie.

"Come on, let's get going before we're late," I sigh, putting my arm around her back.

"Yeah, okay," she agrees, leaning against me as we walk.

I open my cookie, but at this point Sayori has already finished hers, so I give her half of mine to munch on.

"Anyway, where were you thinking of going for the... d-date?" she asks, stuttering a little at the end of the sentence.

"I don't really know," I sigh in thought. "There's a new seafood restaurant that opened up nearby."

"Eh? Isn't that, like, super expensive?"

"Yeah, but it's our first date. It's supposed to be special and memorable, right?"

"I guess so," she sighs.

"Besides, you won't have to worry. It'll be my treat."

"N-No!" she yells right next to my ear. "I won't let you spend money like that on me!"

"C-C'mon, Sayori," I sigh, wincing a bit at the pain in my ear. "I'd be happy to treat you to dinner there."

"It's too much for–! Did you say you'd be happy?" she interrupts herself. "Would that really... make you happy?"

"Um... Y-Yeah, it would," I nod my head, smiling. "It always makes me happy to do things for you."

"I-I..." Tears start forming in her eyes. "If it makes you happy, then I'm happy!" She suddenly starts sobbing.

"S-Sayori, why are you crying?!" _Oh no, is it my_ _fault?!_ I put my arms around her.

"I-I'm just–!" she sobs, embracing me in return, "I'm so touched! I-If it makes you happy to do things like that, then," she looks up at me with a bright smile, although tears are still falling down her face, "then I'll be in your complete care!"

"Sayori," I sigh, putting my hand on her head. "The entire point is for you to be happy _without_ me."

"I don't wanna be without you," she wipes a tear from her eye and sniffles. "Whether or not I'm happy, I wanna be with you forever."

"I'm not a psychologist babe," I sigh, wiping away her tears, "but I know that it's not healthy for you to depend on me that much."

Sayori doesn't respond, and instead just embraces me again. We stand there for a moment, and it's comforting to me as much as I'm sure it is for her.

"We should get to the club now," she sighs after a while. "Before the activity starts, you know."

"Right," I nod my head, before taking her hand and walking again towards the clubroom.

Once we get there, we stop for a moment before going in. Sayori takes a few deep breaths, before smiling up at me.

"All ready!" she exclaims before opening the door to the club. She announces, "Heeeyyy everyone!"

Of course, she and I are the last ones here. Natsuki and Yashiro are sitting together near the closet reading manga together, Yuri is apparently reading Portrait of Markov along with Kaitaro, and Monika is shuffling papers while idly talking with Sashi. They all look at us simultaneously.

"Yo, what's up?" Yashiro calls, before Natsuki hits him upside the head and gestures to the manga they're reading. He just smiles at us and shrugs before going back to reading.

Yuri and Kaitaro both smile and wave before resuming their own reading.

Sashi turns quickly towards Monika, pointing at us and talking in a quick hushed tone. Sayori and I, both interested in that reaction, move to the front of the room where they are.

"Don't you see what I'm saying?!" Sashi whisper-shouts at Monika. "It's them versus us!"

"Sashi, they are all my friends," Monika sighs, shaking her head. "I promise there isn't any conspiracy against us."

"But you're more popular than _any_ of them! And I'm, well, me!"

"What's going on?" Sayori asks, tilting her head.

"Uwah!" Sashi exclaims, scooting the desk she's sitting in away. "One of them came!"

"One of..?" I ask, looking at Monika.

"She's convinced that the rest of you are scheming or something," Monika sighs. "Because she and I are the only ones that are single in the club."

"Eh?" Sayori cocks her head the other way. "The others aren't dating, are they?"

"I don't care if it's official or whatever, but it's inevitable! Just look at them!" Sashi exclaims. "Monika and I should band together as the singles of the club!"

"It's ridiculous," Monika sighs. "Besides, would you believe that Yashiro asked me out before he even talked to Natsuki? Sashi, there's no conspiracy."

"Yashiro asked you what?!" Sayori raised her voice. "Why, that little–!"

"It's fine, he didn't push it," Monika chuckles at Sayori's annoyance.

"Besides, how can you call him little?" I ask my girlfriend with a little laugh.

"You know what I meant!" she huffs.

"Long story short," Sashi says, "you two are intruding on the singles' literature club! Get outta here!"

"Sashi!" Monika scolds.

"What? Can't I have a little fun?" Sashi asks exasperatedly.

Monika just sighs before smiling at Sayori and I. "Well, what took you to so long?"

"We stopped by the vending machine!" Sayori grins. "Anon got me a cookie!"

"Ah, how sweet," Monika smiles.

"Y'see?!" Sashi says to Monika. "Who would buy either of us a cookie?!"

"Natsuki probably would," Sayori muses. "She got me one last week!"

"I meant _boys_!" Sashi clarifies.

"Sashi..." Monika pinches the bridge of her nose. Then, she looks back at me and Sayori. "We'll be starting our activity soon, so why don't you two relax for a bit first?"

"Sounds good to me," I sigh.

I sit down at a desk, then Sayori scoots another one next to me and sits there, leaning against me and sighing. Sashi looks at us from the corner of her eye for a moment before turning back toward Monika and resuming her passionate one-sided discussion. I just hold Sayori as she leans against me and wait for Monika's call to the club.

_

 _(Notes: I actually expected to get more into the club meeting with this chapter but I guess I took my time. And managing two stories at once is tiring. Not because I have to write more, but because I need to switch back and forth between two different mindsets all the time. It's not too bad though. As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	30. Wednesday, The Club (Part 2)

_I did hear about the 15 year old that committed suicide recently. I do have a few thoughts about it, so if you want to be spared my rambling then move on from this spiel._

 _It_ _is always sad to hear that someone was at such a low place in their life that they had to resort to suicide. To hear that they reached that point because of DDLC, which I love so dearly, is also an awful thing. I can say that Team Salvato put all necessary warnings in the game, etc etc, but that won't change the fact that this happened. Parents lost a child, people lost a friend, and the teenager himself had to have been in so much pain. It's something that's not okay._

 _Doki_ _Doki Literature Club is probably one of my favorite games because it had such an impact on me, and I don't believe that Dan Salvato is in any way responsible for what happened. I think this speaks to a much larger issue of Internet freedom, and the fact that parents should monitor their children's activities. I know that sounds threatening to some of you, but the internet really is too dangerous of a place for some young people. Website restrictions, parental controls on sites like steam, and other measures could be taken._

 _Something_ _else is an attention to mental illnesses. Depression is something that someone will probably not admit to having. Some people make small hints to it, or outright admit it, but most will try to bottle it up. It's important to be there for all of your friends, whether or not you think they have any issues. Hell, make an effort to be closer to everyone you can. And for those who are going through those issues, know that there will always be people willing to help, and it's never the end of the world._

 _I'll_ _always love DDLC and Dan Salvato, no matter what other people think._

 _I don't even remember what I wanted to get at in the beginning, so I'll just give my condolences to the family and friends of the kid, and of anyone else who has gone through something similar._ _Now, onto the cheerier stuff._

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

"Okay, everyone!" Monika finally calls out to the club. "Let's get ready for our activity today!"

Sayori, who had been laying against me from her own desk, sits up and stretches.

"Alright!" she says loudly, standing up and raising an arm. "Let's do it!"

"You're pumped up," I note as I also stand.

"Yeah!" She looks at me with a straight face for a moment before breaking into a smile and giggling. "Yeah, ehehe~!"

"Come on vice president," Monika says, walking up behind Sayori with a smile. "Let's move the desks to make a table."

"Ehehe, okay!" Sayori says cheerfully.

Monika chuckles at Sayori's enthusiasm, then we all start moving desks together. Once 8 desks have been gathered, we all sit around it. Sayori is on my left, which is the end of the rectangular table, and Yashiro is on my right with Natsuki sitting next to him. Across from her is Sashi, next to Sashi is Yuri, across from me is Kaitaro, and finally, across from Sayori is Monika.

"I know it's a bit cliché," Monika says as she passes out papers, "but we're going to be looking at 'The Road Not Taken'."

"Ooh! I've heard of that one!" Sayori says proudly.

"Everyone's heard of it Sayori," Natsuki sighs.

"And that's why I picked it," Monika explains. "I want everyone to take part in this activity!"

I take a paper and look it over. It's plain aside from the block of text in the middle, which is typed in a generic font. It's pretty much exactly how I remember it from when we did poetry in school.

"Let's take about a minute to read it silently, then we'll discuss," Monika smiles, before looking down at her paper and beginning to read.

Everyone else looks at their papers as well, except for Sayori. She makes the conscious decision to lean on my shoulder and read from my paper, not that I mind it. I wrap my fingers around hers under the desks and she lets out a small sigh.

"Okay, anyone need more time?" Monika asks after the minute is up. When no one replies, she continues, "Alright, let's start with the overall theme of the poem. And I want to hear from some of the newer members."

After a moment of silence, Kaitaro says hesitantly, "I-It's about n-not being able to e-experience everything in life, a-and regret to some extent."

"Eh? But don't people quote it for motivational speeches and stuff?" Sayori asks.

"Yes, but they use it out of context," Yuri explains. "People use it to say that their lives are better because of the path they took, but it's really about the fact that you never know what could've changed from one simple fork in the road. It's the butterfly effect."

"Oh! I see!" Sayori nods her head confidently.

"Great!" Monika beams. "Now let's look at the literary devices."

"Well, it uses some reversed sentence structure and has a solid rhyme scheme," Yuri says. "The diction relays a somber tone, but as for actual devices like anaphora, there isn't too much to go on."

"There is anaphora near the end of the third stanza," Kaitaro points out, before going back and forth with Yuri, breaking down the entire poem between the two of them.

It's interesting to watch them talk about such a topic that I'm much less knowledgeable about. Honestly, I don't understand half of what they're saying, but it sounds intelligent. Sayori seems to be equally fascinated by the exchange, tilting her head and shifting her gaze between the two. Soon enough, they finish their thoughts on the poem, leaving the rest of us to realize that we're still in the middle of a club meeting.

"W-Well, very good!" Monika chuckles uncomfortably after a moment. "Anyone else have anything to add?"

"Ooh! I do!" Sayori raises her hand. "I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry," Yashiro chuckles.

"No I'm not!" she argues. "I'm only hungry sometimes!"

"I guess we don't have anything more to do today," Monika sighs. "Sorry we didn't get everyone involved."

"A-Ah, that's my fault," Yuri says. "I'm sorry."

"I-It's more my fault," Kaitaro argues.

"It's fine, we just need to pick a better activity for tomorrow." Monika wears a thoughtful expression.

"Wouldn't it just be easier to have a reading circle or something?" Sashi asks. "You know, something that doesn't take much mental effort. We just finished a day of school, after all."

"Less effort is good!" Sayori agrees.

"Well I can figure it out by tomorrow," Monika sighs. "I guess today's club meeting is over."

"Hey Anon, I'm hungry," Sayori hums as she stands up.

"Do you have snacks at your house?" I ask as I push the desk I was sitting in back to its original position.

"Yeah. My mom just went shopping yesterday, remember?"

"Oh yeah, I remember."

We finish putting the desks back, and say our goodbyes to our clubmates. Yashiro says that he would walk home with us, but he's going to a book store with Natsuki to get a new volume of a manga they both like. I don't really mind, because Sayori can always be more honest when he isn't around. So we make our way out of the clubroom, and she wraps her arms around me and sighs.

"How are you feeling?" I ask as I put an arm around her and hold her tightly.

"Really good," she says, before giggling, "I'm really happy right now."

"Why are you happy?" I ask.

"Because we're going on a date on Friday," she says before leaning up and kissing my cheek. "Ehehe, I can't wait!"

"We haven't even planned it out yet," I chuckle, leaning over and kissing just above her temple.

"But it's super exciting!" She starts hopping up and down while still holding onto me.

"Yeah, it is," I agree, leaning into her embrace. As we make our way out of the school building, I ask, "So... A lot of homework today?"

"Shut u~up," Sayori whines, burying her face in my side. "I don't wanna think about it!"

"I'll help. C'mon babe, it'll be fun."

"How can it be fun?"

"I will make it fun," I chuckle. "Wasn't it fun yesterday?"

"No, not really. I mean, part of it, but only when we got distracted from _actually_ doing the homework."

"That's what I'm here for," I grin at her. "Morale boost."

"Right, we'll take a 10 minute break every 5 minutes," she says with a smile.

"Ha ha," I roll my eyes. "You really do feel better, huh? I don't remember the last time you were sarcastic with me."

"I-Is that fine?" she asks, obviously worried.

"Yeah, it's great actually," I nod my head. "I like it better when you aren't worried about anything."

"Then I won't worry," she smiles, before straightening her expression. "That's a lie. I'll _try_ not to worry."

"Yeah, that's my Sayori," I sigh, patting her shoulder.

"Ooh, and I can't wait to eat something when we get home! Come on!" She grabs me by the arm and pulls me along at a quicker pace.

Yeah. That's my Sayori.

_

 _(Notes: Sorry this chapter was a bit shorter. The more I write this fic, it feels like it just gets harder to write. It doesn't help that the game was released almost a year ago and there hasn't been anything else since. But anyway, I'm going to keep pushing on! Only a few more days to get through, right? At least until that follow-up fic I mentioned, which is something that I know most of you will absolutely not condone. Still, I'll make it. Not enough quality smut/lemon stories about Sayori in my opinion. (They're teens, they have hormones, and they're in love. Realistically, it'll happen.) As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	31. Wednesday Night

**_I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

Sayori and I finally reach her house, and we see that Mrs. Saitō's car isn't present. She must be at work. Once we enter, we both change out of our uniforms and into casual wear. Sayori grabs some snacks and brings them into her room to eat while we do homework, but of course I remind her to take her depression medication before we get started.

"So, what do you have for homework today?" I ask while popping open a bag of chips.

Sayori rolls over on her bed so that she's laying upside-down while looking at me. "Pretty much every class," she sighs, taking a chip from my bag and eating it. "It's a bit more than yesterday."

"Yesterday you had to... Oh, you had a test today, didn't you?"

"Oh yeah!" Sayori rolls back over onto her stomach and smiles at me. "I got 18 out of 20!"

"I'm disappointed," I sigh sarcastically, eating a chip.

"Boo, meanie!" she pouts. "I did good!"

"Good, but not perfect," I say, crossing my arms. "I should have made you study more."

"Well, maybe," she sighs, getting off of the bed. "We should probably get started now."

"Yeah. What do you want to start with?"

"Probably math," she sighs, rummaging through her backpack. "Get the hard stuff out of the way, y'know?"

"That's a good idea," I agree. "I'll start with math too."

Sayori pulls out her math assignment, which she partially did during class, and lays down on the floor next to me. I also take out my own homework, and we both get started. Sayori scoots against me as we lay on the floor, asking questions about this or that equation or problem. She moves onto history soon enough, and I start my literature homework while she does that. That's about when she starts cuddling me, and how could I refuse her?

"Can we take a little break?" Sayori asks, burying her face in my neck.

"Yeah, I think we've worked long enough for now," I sigh, putting my arms loosely around her.

Sayori grabs the second bag of chips and takes a few out. "Want one?" she asks after eating the ones she grabbed out.

"Yeah, sure," I say, repositioning myself so that I can reach into the bag.

"No no, don't move a muscle!" Sayori giggles, before reaching into the bag and pulling out a chip. "Open wide!"

"R-Really?"

"Yuh-huh," she nods her head, holding the chip up to my lips.

I part my lips slightly, and Sayori pushes the chip into my mouth. As I chew, she takes a few more out of the bag. She feeds me one more then eats another one herself, before giving me a third one. She puts the bag back down and embraces me again.

"Thanks babe," I say quietly before leaning in and kissing her cheek.

"Ehehe, sure thing~." She narrows her eyes at me and frowns a bit. "You missed."

"I did?" I ask, smirking a bit. "What did I miss?"

"This..." Sayori tightens her hold on me and kisses my lips. She holds it there for a few seconds before retreating from my lips and pressing her face into my shoulder.

"God, you're so cheesy," I sigh. "... What time is it?"

Sayori lets go of me to roll over and grab her phone from the floor near her bed, then rolls back to me, putting her arms back around me and her head over my shoulder. She checks her phone behind my back.

"It's almost 6," she sighs. "Getting hungry?"

"Only a little bit." I chuckle, "I may have filled up on chips."

"Eh? Don't be like that! I've had _way_ more chips than you, and I'm still hungry, ehehe~"

"You ate almost an entire bag on your own, babe. How can you still be hungry?"

"Okay, well, I _might_ have to use the restroom first, but I'll be ready to eat soon enough!" She sits up and stretches.

"Want me to start making something for dinner while you're in the bathroom?" I ask, also sitting up.

"No, silly!" Sayori giggles, placing her hands on my shoulders firmly. "My house, my cooking!"

"S-Should I be worried?" I laugh.

"Hey, I'm not going to start a fire!" she pouts as she stands up. Then she smiles, "Because when you helped me make that teriyaki shrimp... and then I made breakfast for you... I found out that I... I like making food for you, so..." She blushes and puts the tips of her index fingers together. "S-So I'll cook for you... okay?"

"... Yeah, that sounds good," I smile at her. "I'll be working on my homework while you're in there, then."

"Okay!" She leans down and kisses my forehead, before walking to the door. "I'll start dinner as soon as I'm done!"

As she closes the bedroom door behind her, I slump to the ground, sighing. Dear God, she is too damn cute. I actually don't know if I can handle it. I know that she's the one dealing with self-worth issues, but I swear she's too good for me. But I have to do my best with her, because I want her to be happy. So, I rub my face and lay back down, resuming my literature homework. I almost finish it by the time that Sayori returns.

"Hey," she greets as she walks in. "How's the homework coming along?"

"Almost done with this assignment," I say, smiling at her. "Did everything come out alright?"

"D-Don't ask gross questions Anon!" she exclaims, furrowing her eyebrows and crossing her arms. "A-And yes, it did!"

"Aha, sorry," I laugh. "So, what's the dinner plan?"

"Well, my mom got groceries, so... we have a few options." She turns her phone on. "And I have a few recipes I want to try..."

"Surprise me. Whatever you want to make."

"Okay, I'll try to make something good!" She smiles. "This should take... 45-ish minutes!"

"I'll finish this assignment and then join you in the kitchen," I say. "Try not to start a fire until I'm in there."

"Right, I'll do it as soon as you come in. Love ya babe, good luck on the homework!" She smiles and walks out, closing the door behind her.

Alright, no time to waste. Not that I don't have faith in Sayori's ability to not burn down the building, but I'd rather be on standby just in case. I get through my homework as quickly as I can, which is about 15 minutes, and make my way to the kitchen.

"Alright, that'll take a few minutes, so I need to wait a second to put on the cabbage... How long does that take?" I hear Sayori muttering to herself, and see her looking back and forth between the pan and her phone.

"What's cooking?" I ask, walking up behind Sayori and looking over her shoulder at the noodles in the pan.

"Ah, hey Anon," she says, leaning up and kissing my cheek. "Yakisoba with pork and cabbage!"

"Oh, how's it going? It does smell good."

"It's coming along well," she says. "It should be another 10 minutes."

"Sweet, I'm getting hungry."

"Not full of chips?" she giggles.

"Worked up an appetite with that homework," I say, putting my arms around her from behind.

She wraps her arms around mine and leans back against me, before pushing herself out of my hold, saying, "Alright, let me finish."

"Alright, I'll be sitting over here." I pull out a stool and sit down, leaning on the counter. "Just in case."

"No faith," she sighs with a smile, shaking her head.

She adds the cabbage and carrots to the pan and mixes it around, before taking out another small pot. She adds soy sauce, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, and sriracha to the pot and mixes them together. After a few minutes, she adds that sauce to the pan with the noodles, pork and veggies, and mixes them for a few more minutes before turning off the heat.

"... And let it sit for five minutes!" she sighs, setting down the utensils.

"I'll help clean up," I say, walking around her and grabbing the pot she used for the sauce.

"Mhm, thanks," she nods her head.

As the two of us wash the used cookware, I glance at her and say, "I'm really happy."

"Why?" she asks. "Because I didn't burn down the house?"

"I guess, but I meant the fact that you did this," I say, putting my hand on her shoulder. "It makes me really happy that you did this for me."

"Well, anything for you," she says, smiling brightly. "I hope you'll like it."

"Of course I will," I say quietly, putting my arms around her. "I'd probably love it even if it tasted awful. But it won't, so don't worry about that."

"Right, ehehe~" she giggles, putting her arms around me as well. I lean forward and give her a small kiss, and then she squeezes me a bit. "Let's wash our hands then eat, okay?"

"Yeah, sure thing babe," I say, letting her go and walking to the sink.

We wash our hands, then Sayori scoops the yakisoba into 2 bowls that she sets on the table next to each other. There's more than enough for us both, so some is left over in the pan. We sit down, give thanks, then begin eating.

"It's really good," I say after a few bites. I put my arm around her and lean into her. "Thanks a lot babe."

"Yeah, you like it?" she asks happily, leaning into me as well. "I'm real glad!"

"Mm, yeah," I say, taking another bite.

We just sit there for a minute, eating in silence, before hearing the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. Then, the front door opens.

"Sayori! And also Anon! I'm home!" Mrs. Saitō calls from the entryway.

"Hey Mom!" Sayori calls as she continues to eat.

"Good evening Mrs. Saitō," I say a little less enthusiastically.

"Oh, what's this?"she asks as she enters the room. "Did you two make dinner?"

"Nope," I shake my head. "I didn't help at all."

"You made this on your own, baby?" Mrs. Saitō puts her hands on Sayori's shoulders from behind and rests her chin on her head. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Yep! All by myself!" Sayori confirms. "There's more left in the pan, if you want."

"I think I will have some, if you guys aren't going back for seconds."

"I won't," Sayori says, pushing her bowl away.

"I can't," I sigh, looking down at the few bites I have left.

"Hmm... Yakisoba?" Mrs. Saitō grabs a bowl and empties the rest of the noodles into it. "It looks really good!"

"It is," I say. "She's gotten pretty good at cooking."

"And after setting that fire last time, too!"

"M-Mom, stop bringing that up," Sayori sighs, blushing.

"Sorry," Mrs. Saitō giggles as she sits down across from us. "Did you remember to take your medicine dear?"

"Anon reminded me," Sayori nods her head.

"Ah, that's good." She takes a bite of the yakisoba, considers it for a moment, then takes another bite. "It _is_ good, huh. Sayori, I really did doubt you."

"I don't know whether to be happy or disappointed about that, ehe," Sayori chuckles uncomfortably, scratching the back of her neck.

"Be happy," her mother replies through another bite. "Alwaysh be happy."

Sayori nods her head, then leans it on my shoulder at the same time as I'm finishing my last bite of dinner. After swallowing, I sigh in contentment and lean against her as well.

"Thanks for the dinner babe, it was super good," I say down into her ear.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," she replies quietly.

"Do you two have any weekend plans?" Mrs. Saitō asks after gulping down most of her bowl (How the hell can she eat even faster than Sayori? Seriously?).

"No, not really," I ponder. "Well, we're going out for dinner on Friday, so–"

"Going out?" Mrs. Saitō interrupts me. "As in a DATE?!"

"Y-Yeah..."

"OHMYGOODNESS!" she screeches, pounding her fists on the table. "MYBABYISGOINGONADATE!"

"I KNOW!" Sayori nods her head vigorously, also pounding her fists on the table. "ISN'T IT GREAT?!"

"IT'S SO GREAT! I'M GONNA GET YOU THE CUTEST DRESS!"

"REALLY?!"

There are only a few things that I've known Sayori to get passionate about in her life. The most recent was literature, but it seems that she's more excited about this date than she has been about anything else. It makes me happy for sure, but it's something that I don't understand myself.

"So, where will you be going?" Mrs. Saitō asks after a while of shouting with her daughter.

"That new seafood restaurant that opened near the shopping center," I say.

"Wait, isn't that place expensive?" she asks, placing her hand on her chin.

"Yeah, but I've been saving up allowance recently just in case," I explain. "Now I have something to use it on."

"Oh, so you're planning on paying for the whole thing?"

"Yeah," I nod my head. "I was the one who asked her out in the first place, after all."

"Okay, but at least let me buy you something to wear! It's a pretty nice restaurant, after all!" Mrs. Saitō smiles, before opening her eyes quickly. "Oh yeah, that reminds me. I did call your mother this morning, and I told her about the situation."

Oh, I kind of forgot about that. I see Sayori also tense up in apparent worry about how my parents reacted.

"So, what'd she say?" I ask after a moment.

"Well, she seemed pretty upset about the fact that you didn't contact her, and she was also skeptical about the sleeping situation," she says, crossing her arms. "But I explained everything, and she talked to your father, and they agreed that it would probably be fine. On one condition though..."

"What condition?" Sayori asks.

"The condition that I install a security camera."

And there it is. My nights of peaceful sleep are gone. I don't know if I can sleep at all if I know that I'm being watched the whole time.

"M-Mom, really?" Sayori whines.

"Yes, really, and it's too late to go back now." She walks over to pick up a plastic bag that she apparently set near the doorway. "I'm going to go set it up right now."

"... Sayori, can you move our homework out to the living room?" I ask after a moment of awkward silence. "I'll clean the dishes."

"O-Okay," she sighs quietly, moving toward her room.

I pick up all three of the bowls from the table and wash them in the sink, before also cleaning the pan that Sayori used to make the yakisoba. Once I'm done with the dishes, I join Sayori on the couch to complete our homework. Mrs. Saitō distracts us a little bit with the sound of her drilling the camera into Sayori's wall, so it takes a little bit longer than it normally would. I finish mine within an hour, then help Sayori afterwards. It takes another hour or so, but we are able to get the work completely out of the way by about 8:30.

"Ahh!" Sayori sighs, laying back on the couch. "All done!"

"Yeah, all done," I agree, nodding my head. "What do you want to do now?"

"Watch TV?" she suggests, picking up the remote from the coffee table. "And maybe... I could, um... Lay down with you?"

"Y-Yeah, sure," I say, starting to lay down on the couch.

Sayori turns on the television and starts flipping through channels until she stumbles upon the same cooking show that was on Sunday night. She sets the remote control back down, before she lies down on top of me on the couch, putting her arms around me. We somehow find a comfortable position, and watch the TV with mild interest. Eventually, I take out my phone to browse through my feeds on different apps, showing Sayori anything I find funny along the way. She also opens her phone, showing me weird, funny, or interesting headlines like she did yesterday. It doesn't feel like much time has passed when Mrs. Saitō disturbs our cuddle.

"Hey you two," she says, peering over the couch. Her breath hitches and her eyebrows shift as she sees us, but she regains her composure rather quickly. "I... I set up the cameras and it's all wired up to my laptop. You can go to sleep now."

I check the time, and am surprised to see that it's past 10 already. So Sayori and I change (myself in the guest room, and Sayori in the bathroom because she felt awkward about being on camera), then we brush our teeth before bidding Mrs. Saitō goodnight.

"Babe," I whisper as Sayori rolls back over to face me after setting the alarm. "Remember what I said this morning?"

"N-No? I don't think so," she says quietly, before putting her arms around me.

"If you don't wake me up after having a nightmare, I'll be angry with you." I put my arms around her and pull her against me.

"O-Oh. A-Alright." We lay there for a while, before she says, "It's weird to feel like we're being watched."

"I know, right?" I agree. I pull the blanket up to Sayori's head. "Now they can't see you."

"Shut up!" she giggles, pushing it back down. "It's just my mom."

"Yeah, well," I put my arm around the back of her head and lean up to plant a kiss on her forehead. "... We should get to sleep."

"Ehehe, yeah," she nods her head and gives me a tiny squeeze. "Goodnight babe."

"Night."

_

"A-Anon?... C-Can you hear me?" I hear Sayori whisper.

I blink my eyes open, and see that it's still the middle of the night. Looking down at my girlfriend, I see some moonlight glinting off some moisture under her eyes.

"H-Hey, what's wrong?" I ask, bringing my hands to her face to wipe off her tears.

"I... I had a bad dream..." she says, starting to grip me a little bit tighter.

"Well, it's over now." I put one arm around her back, and the other around the back of her head. "I'm here, it's over."

"Y-Yeah..." she sniffs, before pressing her face into my shoulder.

"What was it about?"

"I-I was... falling from a cliff... You were at the bottom and tried to catch me, but... Y-You broke my fall, but... the force of my fall k-killed you."

"Well, I'm here. We're both here right now. I won't let you fall. I'll keep holding on to you, right?"

"R-Right... Thanks Anon." She tightens her grip.

"Go back to sleep babe, I'll be holding you the whole time." She nods her head as I say it. "And also... thanks for waking me up. I'm always happy to help."

She nods again, before whispering, "Goodnight again."

"Yeah, goodnight."

Sayori wakes me up after having nightmares two more times tonight.

_

 _(Notes: Alright, a bit of a longer chapter. Wanted to make up for that shorter chapter I did. Also, this wasn't exactly long enough to split into 2 different chapters comfortably. I really have no idea what to do for Thursday. Kinda want to give the spotlight to Yashiro and Natsuki, like I gave it to Yuri and Kaitaro for Wednesday, and then maybe Monika and Sashi on Friday. Even though Monika's problem of loneliness isn't exactly as applicable anymore, so I have to figure out exactly what her deal is. ANYWAY, hope you liked this chapter. As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	32. Thursday Morning

_(Note: I don't know why, but this chapter didn't seem to push out a notification, at least for me. Adding note as an update to hopefully change that.)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

I wake up as Sayori's alarm goes off, and slowly blink myself awake. I reach across my somehow still sleeping girlfriend and turn it off, before looking down and nudging her.

"Sayori, wake up," I whisper as I shake her shoulder.

"Eh..?" She opens her eyes and looks up at me sleepily. She yawns and mumbles, "Mornin' Anon..."

"Time to wake up," I say as I climb over her to get off the bed.

As I stand up, she sighs, "Wake me up when you're done in the shower..." before burying herself back in the blankets.

"Fine," I sigh, glancing at her before leaving the room.

I grab my school uniform and towel and head into the shower. I didn't get too much sleep last night, so the warm water feels good and refreshing, helping to wake me up. The fact that Sayori had 3 nightmares last night really bothers me. She's definitely feeling better than she was the other day, at least good enough to fake being happy again, but it's frustrating to play this waiting game with her depression. And the medication takes more than a month to take effect at the earliest, which feels even more frustrating than the slow pace of her natural recovery. I know that we'll get there eventually. I just need to keep her going for the time being.

I turn off the water and dry off, before putting on my uniform. When I walk into Sayori's room I see her on the bed, still curled up in the blankets. I kneel down next to her.

"Sayori, wake up," I say quietly as I pull the blanket fun from her ears. "Get up babe."

"Meh... Five more minutes..." she mumbles, rolling around in her bed.

"No, you're getting up right now," I say, pulling the blanket off of her.

She squeaks as I lean down and pick her up out of the bed. I stand her up on her feet and steady her by grabbing her shoulders.

"Take a shower," I sigh, removing my hands.

"Eh?" she mutters, squinting at me and rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Just get ready, I'll make breakfast," I say, turning around to leave.

"W-Wait," Sayori speaks up, prompting me to turn back around. She taps the tips of her fingers together. "C-Can I have a good morning hug?"

"Sure..."

I walk back to her and put my arms around her. She doesn't put her arms around me, but instead brings them together in front of her. She leans into me with a sigh, moving her head against my chest, then I tighten my hold around her.

"Good morning," she whispers.

"Morning," I reply with a sigh. "How're you feeling?"

"Mm... Sleepy..." she says quietly, before giggling, "and hungry."

"Well, you should take a shower to wake yourself up," I say, putting a hand on her head to ruffle her hair, "then I'll give you breakfast to satisfy your appetite."

"Ehehe, that's a good plan," she says, nodding her head. "But... just let me stand here a bit longer..."

I'm a bit confused by this, but I nod my own head and continue to hold her. We stay that way for a while, Sayori occasionally rotating herself in my arms. Despite the fact that I'm fresh out of the shower and she was in the cozy bed, she feels cool to the touch in my arms. Not in an uncomfortable way though. Finally, she takes a deep breath and backs off of me.

"T-Thanks, Anon," she says quietly with a smile and small bow of the head. "I'll get my clothes and get in the bathroom, okay?"

"Yeah," I smile back at her. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"U-Um... Surprise me?" she requests with a tilt of her head.

"Fine," I sigh. ' _Waffles it is_.'

I walk downstairs and into the kitchen as I hear the shower turn on. There isn't exactly a reason to start making the waffles yet, since they'd be cold by the time Sayori comes down, so I start preparing a lunch for each of us.

Looking out the window as I make the lunches, I see Mrs. Saitō's car. I guess she isn't working too early today. Which is good I suppose, since she was probably up pretty late watching us on the security footage. Wait, was she up all night? Would she even be able to watch us all night, now that I think about it? What's even the point of the security system? Will she review it during the day? Or is it just there for show?

I sigh and shake my head as I wrap up the two sandwiches and move on to snacks. Sayori loves grapes so I grab some of those, and I also put a few cookies into a plastic bag. Once I'm done with the lunch bags, I start making some waffle mix. I hear the shower stop, so after I pour the waffle mix in, I walk up to the shower and knock on the door.

"Sayori, breakfast is almost ready!" I call.

"Okay!" she replies. "I'll be out as soon as I can!"

"Kay!"

I go back downstairs and wait for the waffles to finish. Once they're done, I put in the mix for four more. By the time that the second batch is done, I heat some maple syrup. I put the waffles on two plates, four on each, and pour the syrup over both. I'm about to go back upstairs to let Sayori know that they're ready, but she bounds down the stairs just in time.

"Ooh, waffles!" she exclaims, holding her hands up in fists and waving them back and forth excitedly. She hops to me and throws her arms around my shoulders, giving me a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you so much!"

"Yeah, of course," I chuckle, returning her hug. "Let's eat before they get cold."

Sayori nods and we sit down next to each other at the table. We each cut into the fluffy waffles and take a bite and, I must say, the maple syrup is perfectly heated. Good going, me.

"Ah, you even made the syrup warm!" Sayori exclaims, leaning against me. "This is great! Thanks a whole bunch!"

"I-It's nothing," I chuckle at her.

"No, it _is_ something!" she insists. "You... This really means a lot to me, babe. It... makes me happy." She links one arm around mine.

"Y-Yeah? Really?" I ask hopefully, looking down at her. "Well then, that makes me happy too."

She giggles and takes another bite of her waffles. We eat in silence for a bit, leaning against each other. Sayori finishes her waffles first.

"Should I make our lunches?" she asks, squeezing my arm.

"I already did," I say, taking another bite.

"Eh, really?" Sayori wraps her other arm around mine so that she's hugging it with both, and she leans up and kisses my cheek. "You're the sweetest ever!"

"Calm down," I chuckle. "It's just food."

"Yeah, but food is, like, the third most important thing in my life!" she sighs, almost whining.

"What's the second?" I ask, taking the final bite of my breakfast.

"Hmm... Oxygen," she says after a moment.

"What could realistically be more important than oxygen?" I ask with a sigh.

"You," she says with the straightest face I've ever seen. "I'd rather be with you and die than live without you."

"Okay..." I say slowly. "But do me a favor and don't die, okay?"

"Ehehe, of course not!"

Sayori grabs both of our plates and washes them off in the sink, and I go make sure everything is all put together in our bags.

"You ready to go?" she asks, putting her arms around me from behind.

"Yeah, if you are," I confirm.

"Alright, let's go then," she says, picking up her backpack. She takes my hand and we walk out of the house, starting on our way to school. "So, is your arm all better yet?"

"Hm?" I remember that Natsuki hit me a few days ago. I'd actually forgotten about it again. "Yeah, it doesn't hurt anymore. What about your arm?"

"It feels way better," she says. "It tingles if I poke it though, ehehe~"

"Why did you poke it?" I sigh.

"Eh? I dunno, it just looked weird."

"Weird how?"

She lets go of my hand and rolls up her sleeve, exposing the raised red scab. "I don't really know, but it just looks... funny?"

"There's nothing funny about it," I sigh, shaking my head. "But I'm glad it's feeling better."

Sayori nods, then rolls down her sleeve and takes my hand again. After another moment of walking, she reaches across and holds my arm with her other hand.

"Hmm... I wonder what Monika decided to do today for the club meeting," she ponders as she leans against me more and more.

"Aren't we doing a reading circle?"

"I think so, but I wonder what we're reading."

"Could be anything," I muse, before chuckling, "I'd hate to be in Monika's position. Running a club seems hard."

"Yeah, she's always pretty busy," Sayori says. "And she doesn't let me help, even though I'm the vice president. She always says she has it handled."

"Well, she's been doing a good job so far," I point out. "She probably does have it handled."

"I guess so, but I still want to help out," she pouts.

"You help out more than enough," I argue. "You help everyone get along better."

"Aw, you really think I do that?" she asks, blushing.

"Of course I think that," I chuckle.

We make our final approach to the school, and go inside. Sayori continues to hold my arm and lean against me as we make our way to the main courtyard of the school. We lean against the wall once we get there.

"So... Lunch again?" she inquires.

"Yeah. I'm always happy to eat with you," I say.

"Well, of course if it makes you happy!" she giggles before leaning up and kissing my cheek, which causes me to chuckle. She asks, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing much," I sigh. "I was just thinking about how embarrassed you got when I kissed you at the festival. Now you aren't embarrassed at all."

"Why should I be?" she laughs, putting her arms around me torso. "I don't care what other people think. Just you, ehehe~"

"Well, I think you're the greatest person I know." I pat her head lightly while putting one arm around her in a half-hug.

She giggles and kisses my cheek again, tightening her embrace, just before the first bell rings. We stay there for a moment, holding each other while waiting for students to disperse a little, before we finally let each other go.

"Love you a lot," she says with a bright smile.

"Love you too," I say. "I'll see you during lunch. Same table?"

"Yeah," she confirms, nodding her head. "See you then!"

"See you later," I say, before turning and walking to my classroom.

_

 _(Notes: Sorry, but I'm taking a little trip this week, and I'll be cut off from technology. So I won't be able to work on the next chapter for this, and it'll have to be delayed by a week. Sorry, but it's kinda unavoidable. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter well enough. As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	33. Thursday, Lunchtime

_(Alright, I'm back with the next chapter! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter after that week off. Like I said, I'm making Thursday about Natsuki and Yashiro.)_

 ** _I_** ** _do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

The day flies by and it's suddenly lunchtime. The entire day was unbelievably unremarkable. There were no tests, essays, quizzes, or group activities. Almost every class was either a lecture or free time, although it was announced that I have a math test tomorrow. The only interesting thing was that Haroki was able to goof off all day due to our lack of work.

I make my way through the hallways and into the cafeteria. I don't try to find Sayori, instead deciding to go straight to our table. I wonder if she'll bring Yuri and Kaitaro again. I don't mind either way. Of course I'd like to spend time alone with Sayori, but I get to do that all day away from school. I don't mind getting to spend time with the other club members every now and then outside of the club anyway. I finally make my way to the table, where Sayori is alone.

"Hey Anon!" she says cheerfully, waving at me from her seat. She pats the spot next to her rapidly with both hands.

"Hey, how are you doing?" I ask as I sit down next to her and take her hand in mine.

"Well, that depends on how you're doing."

"Actually, today's been pretty boring," I sigh. "Except Haroki somehow got his pen stuck in the ceiling."

"Eh? Really?" Sayori tilts her head at me. "How?"

"I don't know," I chuckle. "He just tossed it up and the point stuck in."

"Wow, that's like one in a million! Lucky!"

"I don't think it's that lucky, haha. Probably more like one in a hundred."

"Still, ehehe~!" she giggles. I take out my lunch and Sayori does the same, and we both begin eating. "Ooh, you put in grapes and cookies! That's so great!"

"Eat the sandwich first," I sigh, putting my arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, I know..." She pouts and takes a bite of her sandwich.

After taking a couple bites of my own sandwich, I ask, "So, what have you done in class today so far?"

"Eh, not too much..." She puts her index finger on her chin. "Oh! We're doing a group assignment in English class, and I'm with Hamara and Amanda!"

"What do you have to do?"

"We're writing a skit that we need to perform next week! And Hamara came up with the funniest idea about a misunderstanding in a coffee shop!"

"A misunderstanding in a coffee shop?"

"Yeah, a misunderstanding in a coffee shop! Where I'm the girl who works in the shop, and Amanda orders a coffee. I mishear her name and misspell it, and then she and Hamara end up arguing over who's drink it is!"

"That... actually sounds like something you'd do," I laugh.

"Eh? That's mean!" she pouts. "I would not do something like that!"

"Aha, still, I think it's funny," I say, patting her shoulder.

"Ehehe~ Yeah, it's pretty funny," she concedes as she takes the final bite of her sandwich. "Mm, now... Should I eat the grapes or cookies next?"

"Grapes," I advise. "The cookies are dessert."

"Ah, okay," she nods her head before taking out the bag of grapes.

I also take out my grapes and pop one into my mouth. Sayori puts an arm around my back and leans her head against my shoulder as she chews, and I squeeze her shoulders slightly with my arm.

"So, no Yuri and Kaitaro today?" I ask after a minute of silent eating.

"I didn't see them on they way here," she shrugs. "But they could just come here if they wanted, y'know? So I guess they have somewhere else to be. Which I don't mind, since I like spending time with just you."

"We do that all day anyway," I chuckle.

"Y-Yeah, but..." She blushes and looks down at the table. "I don't really get tired of this... D-Do you?"

"No, I don't either," I agree.

"Oh, there you guys are!" the recognizable voice of Yashiro calls out. I turn and see him jogging over to us. "I've been looking for you."

"Hey, what's up?" I ask. He has a worried expression on his face.

"Make it quick," Sayori sighs as she finishes her grapes.

"Okay, well, Natsuki isn't here today," he starts. "I texted her, and she said that she's sick."

"And..?" Sayori says in an annoyed tone.

"Well, most of her texts have a ton of emojis in them, but this one was just plain," he says, holding up his phone for us to see.

"She was just probably feeling bad, so she didn't bother with them," I say. "So, why do you look so worried? She's just sick."

"No, it's all bullshi–" He cuts himself off when he sees Sayori's glare. "Sorry Sayori... But she isn't just sick. Yesterday, I said that I was going to buy a new volume of manga with her, right?"

"Yeah, you said that," I nod my head.

"Well, we stayed out a little bit and I decided to walk her home."

"Doesn't she live a while away on foot?" Sayori asks.

"Sure, but it really isn't _too_ far. Anyways, we're walking and she looks up at her house, and we can see someone looking out the window at us. I think it's her dad. She freaks out and tells me to go home, and she gives me the manga and tells me to put it away in the classroom for her."

"Well that's... weird, definitely," I sigh.

During this time, Yashiro took out his own lunch and started eating. I look down at Sayori, and she's nibbling on her cookies.

"She's mentioned her dad before," Yashiro says after a moment. "She was talking about how she didn't have many friends who liked manga, and she said that she didn't know what her dad would do if he found it in her room. He sounds strict at the least, and I didn't pay it much mind until now, but..."

"Woah woah!" Sayori exclaims, holding a hand up at Yashiro. "Don't just jump to any conclusions!"

"She's not sick," Yashiro asserts. "Her dad did something, and he's the reason she isn't here today."

I remember what Natsuki said on Sunday when we ran into her in the pizza shop. How she kept changing her story and that it didn't line up. It did seem like she was trying to hide her father's strictness, but...

"Just calm down," I sigh. "What are the odds, really? I guess it would make some sense, but it makes just as much sense to say that she has the flu or something."

"Well, here's the reason I was looking for you," he says. "We're doing that reading circle today, and she won't be there. I want to bring her copy of whatever we're reading and drop it off at her house, and I want you guys to come with me."

"Why?" Sayori asks.

"Because he saw me with her yesterday, and it'll be weird if I go there by myself."

"Monika should go," I suggest. "It'll be better if she says she's the club president."

"No, we should go," Sayori says. "Monika is more than too busy. Besides, I'm the vice president!"

"If you're fine with it, then I am," I shrug.

"Great!" Yashiro says with a smile. "So we'll go after the club meeting, and if we find out that I'm right, then we call the police."

"For what? Child abuse?" Sayori asks.

"She's 18, child abuse doesn't apply," I say.

"S-She _is_?!" Sayori exclaims. "No way!"

"She's 18?!" Yashiro also exclaims. "T-That changes everything!"

"What, you guys didn't know?" I ask. "Wait, Yashiro, were you thinking about dating a minor when you're 18?"

"No! Why do you think I haven't just asked her out yet?! I was _waiting_ , man!"

I let out a small chuckle, "Well, I guess you don't have to wait any more then. Just ask her out once you get her dad arrested."

"You know what? I will!" he crosses his arms.

Sayori finishes her cookies then tightens her grip on me. "Mmm, thanks for the lunch babe," she says quietly before kissing my cheek.

"Yeah, of course," I say as I pat her shoulder.

"Bleh, you two make me wanna hurl," Yashiro sighs, standing up. "I'm outta here. See you guys in the club."

"Later." I wave my hand.

Yashiro leaves, and Sayori sighs, "I hope Natsuki is alright."

"Yashiro is probably wrong," I sigh. "Don't worry about it babe."

"... Are you going to finish those cookies?" she asks after a moment of sitting still.

I look down and realize that I brought out the bag after finishing my grapes, but never ate any. I open the bag and take one out.

"I'll just have this one. You can have the rest."

"Ooh!" She smiles brightly as she takes the plastic bag. "Thanks a whole bunch!"

"Yeah, anything for you," I chuckle.

We sit there for a while as she slowly eats the small cookies. She's eating them way more slowly than she normally does.

"What's wrong?" I ask after a couple of minutes.

"Meh, I dunno," she shrugs. "I'm just worried about Natsuki. Like, if Yashiro's right... Then I feel bad that she's had to go through that alone."

"Well, that's why we're going later today, right? To make it better."

"Yeah..." Sayori finishes the cookies and just holds me silently for a moment. "... I'm excited for our date tomorrow though, ehehe~"

"Oh yeah, huh. I probably need to make a reservation at that restaurant for tomorrow once we get home. Anything you want to do besides eating?"

"Anything... else..?" she tilts her head.

"Well, it'll be our first date. We could go out on the town, or do anything like that. Maybe go to an arcade, see a movie?"

"Ooh, that'd be fun!" she says excitedly. "There was a new movie that just came out with robots and aliens and it got really good reviews!"

"Oh yeah? You wouldn't want to see a romantic movie?"

"Ew, no! I'd rather have fun!"

I laugh, "That's one of the things I love about you babe."

"Eh? What is?" she tilts her head again.

"You're always yourself."

"Who else would I be?" she asks seriously. When I chuckle, she asks again, "Really, who? And what's so funny?!"

"Nothing, nothing," I sigh, before leaning down and pecking her lips. "Love you babe."

"Ehehe~ Love you too!" she giggles.

The bell rings to send us back to class after not too long. We throw away our trash and hug one more time before going to our seperate classes. And I know I told Sayori that Yashiro is probably wrong, but I can't help but worry about Natsuki as well.

_

 _(Notes: I don't know, I'm really tired right now. I guess we'll see how our crew will handle Natsuki'd dad in like 2 chapters. Woo..! I'm so tired. Anyways, I kinda feel bad that this was the comeback chapter, but this was what needed to be here for the story. Oh well. As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	34. Thursday, The Club

_(Note: Sorry this chapter took so long! I had a case of writer's block. Honestly, I'm kinda burned out writing this fic anyways. I think you can see the point in this chapter where I decided that I'd had enough, actually.)_

 ** _I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

The bell rings and I follow the rest of my classmates out into the hallway, before turning to go to the literature club. I went over it in my head multiple times during class, and I still can't help but feel that Yashirao is right about Natsuki. It adds up too well, and I even have _more_ reason to suspect it than he does. God, why does it seem like everyone in this stupid club has problems?

Sayori walks up and falls in step with me, grabbing my hand and giving me a tiny kiss on the cheek before whispering, "Hey Anon~"

"Hey babe," I say, squeezing her hand. "How're you doing?"

"Okay, I guess," she sighs. "Still worried though."

"Me too," I sigh. "But let's just focus on the club for now, alright?"

"Yeah," she nods her head. "I wonder what we'll be reading... Monika probably chose something really good!"

"We'll see. You have a lot of faith in Monika, don't you?"

"Yeah. She was the first one I really told about my depression, and she was always really nice and supportive about it. She was kinda cranky last week though."

"Cranky?" I ask. "How?"

"Well, she just kinda..." Sayori tilts her head. "Normally, she doesn't mind if I make a mistake or two and she says it's fine, but last week she got upset with me more often."

I blink and look down at her for a second. "I don't remember her getting upset."

"Oh, not during the club," Sayori clarifies. "In messages and that type of stuff."

"Why do you think she was cranky?"

"Well, she apologized already and said that it was because of the stress from the festival preparations."

"I guess that makes sense," I muse.

"Yeah, but she's still super nice most of the time, ehehe~" she giggles. "Hey Anon, can we stop by the vending machine again today?"

"Do you have your own money?" I ask.

"Yes, I do this time!" she giggles. "So c'mon!"

"Alright, let's go," I chuckle as she pulls me along by my arm.

We go to the vending machine, where Sayori buys a cookie. I decide against buying one myself, since I'm not really hungry. She'd eat it anyways. As she eats her cookie and hums contentedly, she leans against me and wraps her arm around my side. I do the same, and we make our way to the literature club like that.

When we get there, the scene is about what it normally is. Yuri and Kaitaro are reading together, Monika and Sashi are talking about who-knows-what, and Yashirao... isn't here yet, I guess. Monika waves at Sayori and I, and we both wave back at her before finding a couple of desks to sit at. When we sit down, Sayori takes a book out of her backpack and opens it while she leans against me.

"What's that?" I ask.

"Oh, it's a book that Monika recommended to me a while ago," she says. "I kinda stopped reading with everything that was happening, but I want to finish it."

"What's it about?" I peer over her shoulder and see that she's about halfway through it.

"It's called _Secrets Held in Memories Gone_. It's about a detective who has to investigate the murder of his own partner. It's really good so far, even though the first chapter is kinda slow."

"Well I'm glad you have something to read, considering you're the vice president of the literature club."

"Well you're a club member too," she says, looking at me with a pout. "You need something to read too."

"I have the book that Yuri gave me, plus Monika will have us reading something from now on," I say. "I just haven't had a lot of time recently."

"Sorry about that, eheh..." she chuckles uncomfortably and looks back down at her book.

"It's not your fault," I sigh, putting my arm around her and pulling her against me. "And either way, I guess I'm glad I got an excuse to hang out with you."

"I'm glad too," she says quietly.

The door to the classroom opens, and I look back to see Yashiro walk in. He waves, then moves to the back closet of the classroom momentarily before walking over to Monika and Sashi. they talk for a minute or so before Monika nods, and Yashiro retreats.

"What was that about?" I ask as he walks up to me and Sayori.

"I was just letting her know about Natsuki," he sighs. "She said we can bring her the book after the club, so that's good."

"Yeah," I nod my head. "Just try to keep your mind off of it. Nothing we can do about it now."

"Yeah, I know," he sighs. "It's just frustrating."

"I... don't understand," Sayori says, tilting her head up at Yashiro. "You're acting like you care about her. That's out of character..."

"N-No it isn't!" he says defensively. "What's with you, Sayori? Why do you act like I'm the worst guy in this school?"

Sayori shrugs and mumbles something, and I also shrug at Yashiro.

"Tch, whatever," he crosses his arms and looks away. "I'll leave you alone. See you later."

Yashiro goes back to the closet and opens up a manga volume, though I don't think it's from the same series that he and Natsuki are reading together. I look down at Sayori, and she's sitting with her arms crossed, looking down at her book on the desk.

"Why _do_ you dislike him so much?" I ask after a while. "I get that he's rude sometimes, but I don't think that's too bad."

She shrugs, "I dunno... I-I just..." Her face scrunches up, and she frowns for a split second before smiling up at me. "Can we talk about it later?"

"Uh, sure..." I say. "Whenever you're ready."

She leans her head against my shoulder and sighs, also putting her arm around my back. I feel her hand grip the back of my blazer.

"A-After I'm better..." she whispers. "W-When I don't need you anymore, w-will you... l-leave me?"

"W-What?" I say, pulling my head back and looking down at her. "Never! I-I mean, why would I?"

She shrugs. "It's nice that you care enough to be here when I need it, but... I mean, why would you stick around after that?"

"Because I love you, dummy," I sigh, poking her forehead. "And I enjoy your company."

"Really?" She doesn't look up at me as she asks, which gets me a little worried.

"Of course. Where'd this even come from?"

"I dunno... I've just been thinking that it doesn't make a lot of sense. I-I don't want to accuse you of lying, but it's just... You always used to treat me like I was annoying, but since I told you about my depression, you've confessed and done so many nice things... I-It's kinda too good to be true."

"I... can see why you'd think that," I sigh. "But I already told you, I only avoided you because it felt weird to be around you. And believe me Sayori, I wouldn't lie to you about this. I love you babe, and I don't plan on leaving."

"Ehehe~ I know," she giggles, smiling up at me. "I just wanted to hear you say it."

"You _know_?" I sigh. "You had me worried."

"Sorry, it's just nice to hear sometimes." She squeezes me a little more tightly. She whispers barely loud enough for me to hear it, "I love you."

"Yeah," I whisper, also pulling her closer to me. "Love you too babe."

She leans against me more, letting her head slide down to my chest before wrapping both of her arms around my waist.

"What's up with you?" I chuckle.

"I dunno, I'm sorry if I'm being to clingy..."

I look up, suddenly conscious of what Sayori is doing in the middle of the literature club. Yashiro is looking down at his manga, Yuri and Kaitaro are absorbed in their novel, and Monika is doing through paperwork (does she do anything else?). Sashi, however, is glaring at us like we deserve a death sentence.

"Don't apologize to me, I really don't mind," I whisper down to her. "Apologize to Sashi."

Sayori looks up at Sashi and giggles, "I really like her. She's funny!"

Monika calls the club together and hands out the books. It's a novel called _Lesser the Benevolence_. It's about a crew member on a cruise liner that discovers a stowaway. We only read the prologue chapter because of Natsuki's absence, but it seems interesting. The rest of the club meeting is uneventful, and we wrap everything up pretty quickly. Yashiro gets the extra copy of the book to give to Natsuki from Monika, and the three of us leave together.

_

 _(Notes: So, updates might become sporadic for this story. I don't know if it's because I'm writing two at once or because I'm just burned out on DDLC, but my motivation to write this is just super low. No hiatus or anything, but there'll be more space between chapters. As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	35. Thursday, Natsuki's House

_(HAHAHA! I HAVE NO EXCUSE FOR TAKING OVER THREE WEEKS TO POST THIS!_ _But it felt so good to not worry about this fic, so I can't say that I regret taking that time. Anyway, this is the biggie. The "Natsuki's Dad" chapter. Hope you all enjoy! And... you know... haven't forgotten about me.)_

 ** _I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

Sayori holds my arm as we follow Yashiro towards Natsuki's house. In her other arm, she's holding the book that we're supposed to be giving to Natsuki. Although I'm growing more and more worried that it won't turn out that way. She leans against my shoulder.

"I'm worried," she says after a couple of seconds.

"We'll be there soon," I say. "I think."

Yashiro is the only one out of us that knows where Natsuki lives, so Sayori and I are just following him until we get there. I can't help but feel tense about this. There's no way this can end well if Yashiro's suspicions are right. What'll we even do if he _is_ right? Well, call the police obviously, but what if it gets violent beforehand? Knowing Yashiro, it might. And that would probably get him arrested too, or at least detained, and that'd be bad. It goes without saying really, but it's a real possibility.

"Hey Yashiro," I say.

He turns back to us and asks, "What's up?"

"How close are we?"

"I dunno, about 3 or 4 minutes away."

"Come here," I say motioning for him to walk alongside Sayori and I. Once he's next to us, I say, "Please don't do anything stupid. Let Sayori and I do the talking, and if we suspect anything we'll call the police."

"Yeah, I know," he says, sounding a little frustrated. "Do you think I'm that stupid?"

"Ye–" Sayori starts saying before I put my hand over her mouth.

"No, but you're... short-tempered," I sigh. "So just try your best to stay calm."

"Real easy," he shrugs, looking away. "I mean... I'll try."

"Thanks," I nod to him.

"So..." Sayori says quietly. "I'll have to talk?"

"Well you _are_ the vice president," I say. "It would make sense for you to be the one to talk."

"W-What should I say?"

"Just say that you're the vice president of the literature club, we started a reading circle today, and we're here to drop the book off for Natsuki."

"W-What if he doesn't let us see her?" Sayori asks.

"Say that we have to tell her where we left off in the book," I suggest. "Or that we're worried because she's sick and want to check up on her."

"O-Okay," she nods. "I... don't know if I can do it convincingly though... I-I'll probably mess it up, so..."

"You'll do fine, Sayori. You're good at putting on acts, after all," I chuckle.

"S-Sorry," she says quietly, looking down.

"Don't apologize, dummy," I say and kiss the side of her head. "It's a good thing right now."

She hums and nods her head before lifting it up from my shoulder and kissing my cheek. "Alright... I'll do my best."

"Geez, you guys are too much," Yashiro says, looking away. "Seriously, get a room."

Sayori harumphs and looks away from him too, squeezing my arm a little tighter in the process.

"C'mon you two," I say, glancing between them. "Just get along for one day please."

"Hey man, I try," Yashiro says. Then he suddenly looks up and points to a house coming up. "Oh wait, it's that house! We're here!"

"Calm down," I say. "Sayori, are you ready?"

"N-Not really!" she says nervously.

"Better than not at all," I sigh. "Let's just do this."

Sayori walks up to the door, and I follow closely on her right. Yashiro stays back a little bit on her left side. Sayori lifts her hand and hesitates for a moment before knocking. There's some rustling inside, and I hear footsteps that progressively get louder until they finally stop. Then the door opens.

"Who're you?" He's taller than any of us, and has dull, dark pink hair. His chin and jaw are covered by a stubble, and he has a mustache.

"U-Um, hello sir!" Sayori says with a small bow. "Are you Natsuki's dad?"

"Yes, I'm her father," he says, narrowing his eyes. "What do you want?"

"O-Oh, right! I'm Sayori, the vice president of the literature club at our school, w-which natsuki is a member of. We started reading a new book today, so we wanted to drop it off for her."

"Oh? Well I'll take it from you."

"U-Um," Sayori glances back at me for a second. "W-We heard that she wasn't really feeling well, and kinda wanted to check up on her. Is she a-available?"

"Unfortunately not," he says with a somewhat harsh undertone. "She has a fever and is resting."

"Oh," she glances back again and I nod. "Well, please tell her we hope she feels better... Do you have any idea when she might feel good enough to come back to school?"

"No idea," he shakes his head before taking the book. "She just came down with it last night, so it might last for a week or so."

"Oh, well hopefully not," she says. "Thanks a lot. Tell her we only read the prologue so far. Also–"

"Wait," Yashiro speaks up, and I snap my head to look at him. "She seemed fine last night."

" _Yashiro_!" I whisper at him.

He gives me an annoyed look before looking back to Natsuki's dad again. Then Natsuki's father looks down at him and his expression turns into a glare.

"I thought you looked familiar, boy," he grumbles. "You were the one she was with yesterday evening, huh? Might I ask exactly what you two did together?"

"I went to buy a book that came out recently. She went with me to buy something else, but it was sold out." Yashiro slightly tilted his head and said, "But like I already said, she was fine when I was with her."

"Right... She got it late last night. I was up doing work, and she came into the kitchen past midnight for water. When she saw I was still up, she told me she wasn't feeling well."

"Right..." Yashiro sighs. "Well–"

"Stop, don't be rude," I say, putting my hand on his shoulder. I look back up and smile at Natsuki's father, "Sorry about him. He's not very bright."

"Y-Yeah, ignore him," Sayori says nervously.

"If there's nothing else, I'm a little busy," he says. "Have a nice day."

"You too!" she says as the door closes.

"Hey!" Yashiro complains as I grab him by the collar and pull him away.

Sayori follows us until I stop at the street corner and harshly ask, "What's wrong with you Yashiro?!"

"What?!" he crosses his arms. "What was I supposed to do?!"

"Not give away the fact that we were suspicious of him! Seriously, you should've kept quiet. Now he might know."

"It's not like it'll help him," he says indignantly as he takes out his phone. "I'm calling the police right now."

"Alright," I sigh. Really, it hurts to admit that he's right about that.

"But it could just be a coincidence!" Sayori says hopefully. "Right?"

"We shouldn't take that chance," I say as Yashiro walks away and starts talking to the emergency operator. "Besides... If we _are_ wrong, it'll be cleared up pretty quickly."

"I guess so..." she concedes, before taking my hand. "I am worried, after all..."

"Of course you are. She's our friend."

"I just... Trying to imagine what she might be going through is... I can't imagine." She shudders and puts her other hand on my forearm.

"I know," I say, putting my free arm around her in a hug. "Don't try to. Remember, you need to think happy thoughts."

"Like what?" she asks, leaning her head against my shoulder.

"Like our date tomorrow," I smile as I say it. "We're gonna have a lot of fun, right?"

"Yeah... Yeah, you're right. And for Natsuki... She's not in a good spot right now, but... we can help her get better, like you're helping me. And Yuri too."

"Yeah," I say with a chuckle. "We should start a mental health club instead of a literature club, huh?"

"Ehehe~ Yeah, you seem to have a positive effect on people," she says quietly, leaning further against me.

"I think it's you that has that effect on people," I laugh. "You're just so bright, y'know?"

"D-Don't say that," she mumbles, pressing her face into my shoulder.

"Hey babe," I say, pulling my hand from hers and instead wrapping it around her shoulder to complete the hug. "Love you."

"Anon," she sighs, putting her arms around me as well. "I love you too babe."

"Get a room," Yashiro sighs as he returns. "They should be here in a little bit. The police station isn't really that far."

"Okay," I nod my head, still holding Sayori. "We should stay and see how it turns out."

"Yeah, for sure," Yashiro says, putting his hands on his hips. "I wonder if Natsuki will want to keep living here if her dad gets arrested..."

"I know I wouldn't," Sayori sighs, turning her head towards Yashiro. "But where would she go?"

"I don't know... She has a few friends that could let her stay with them."

"I don't think I know any of her friends outside of the club," I muse.

"She doesn't have many good ones," he sighs. "Really, I just meant the ones from the club."

"Oh," I sigh, looking down at the top of Sayori's head. "I think Yuri's place is a bit crowded. And I don't know how well Natsuki might know Sashi..."

"Not very well," Yashiro says. "But she said she likes her."

"Well that leaves Monika."

"Yeah."

The sound of cars makes us all look up to see multiple police cars rounding the corner towards Natsuki's house. None of them have their sirens on, but that might be because it isn't an urgent case like a robbery. The three of us walk over to the area to get into listening distance.

"Hey, what're you kids doing?" one of the officers asks.

"I'm the one who called," Yashiro says.

"Oh, I see," she says with a nod. "We might have more questions for you later, so I'd appreciate it if you could stick around. Just not so close that you interfere with us, alright?"

As we nod, one of the officers knocks on the door.

"Who the hell is it now?" the voice of Natsuki's father grumbles as he opens the door, but his eyes widen when he sees who it is. He scans the three squad cars in front of his house. "Why... What brings you here?"

"Well, we received a tip that some... illegal activities have been taking place here. We're here to do a search of your home."

"D-Don't you need a warrant to do that?" It looks like he's not comfortable with this situation.

"Actually, not when we have probable cause, which we do."

"I have the right to know what I've been accused of, yeah?"

"Yes, of course... But first, could you please turn around?"

"Why would–"

"I won't ask again."

Natsuki's dad grimaces before complying and turning around, and then the police officer puts the handcuffs around his hands.

"You are being detained for the sake of this investigation," the cop says. "You are not currently under arrest, but may be later on. Do I have permission to pat you down?"

"Yeah, if you tell me what 'illegal activities' have been supposedly going on in my home," he says.

"Domestic battery," the officer says, before patting down his pants.

"WHAT?!" Natsuki's dad exclaims, eyes widening.

"Do you have any sharp objects on you?"

"WHO SAID THAT?!"

" _Sharp objects_?" the police officer asks more pointedly.

"... No..." he growls after a moment. He begins looking around at the police that are standing around the area, and his eyes eventually land on us. "... You... WAS IT YOU?!"

Sayori flinches as he gets up to run at us before he's caught by the police. I hold her a little tighter as we watch him struggle against the multiple police officers who drag him back to one of their cars and push him down on the hood. We only have to wait for a few more moments though. I'm looking at Sayori when I see her eyes widen.

"Ah," Sayori's breath hitches, and I see tears come to her eyes. "N-Natsuki–!"

I look up and see that there are multiple police escorting Natsuki out of the front door, her head hung down. Soon enough, she looks up at the surrounding commotion, and I can see a large dark mark on the side of her head.

"Jesus," I mutter, squeezing Sayori's arm a little bit.

"That bas–"

"Language," Sayori says quietly.

"Really? You're saying that _now_?"

"Yeah... Sorry," she sighs. "I'm less mad at that guy than I am worried about Natsuki."

"I... guess so," he concedes, before looking back up at her. "I wonder if we'll be able to talk to her soon."

"It might be a while," I sigh. "And... I don't want to be _that guy_ , but we do have homework to do."

"I don't feel like doing homework," Yashiro grumbles.

"I... don't feel like it either," Sayori agrees.

"Woah, did you guys just agree?" I ask. "Amazing."

"Not now man," he says exasperatedly.

"Excuse me," the same female cop that we saw earlier approaches Yashiro. "Can we ask you some questions?"

"Yeah, I guess," he says.

"Just follow me," she motions to him, and he follows her away from me and Sayori.

We sit on the sidewalk against a fence, and I finally convince her to get started on homework. We work on it together for a while, before my phone suddenly starts ringing. And then I see... Of course it's Mrs. Saitō.

"H-Hey Mrs. Saitō," I say. "I'm so sorry we–"

 _"WHERE ARE YOU TWO?!"_ she yells over the phone. _"WHERE'S MY BABY?!"_

"W-We're fine! She's fine!" I insist.

 _"Do you have any idea what time it is? It's almost dinner! Where are you?!"_

"We're... At a friend's house." Technically, not a lie.

 _"Why does it sound like that had a double meaning?"_ she asks.

"I promise we're alright. We'll just be a little late."

 _"... How late?"_

"Erm... I have no idea. But we plan on staying for a while."

 _"... Alright, but call me when you're on your way so I can make dinner."_

"Alright. Sorry we didn't call you, Mrs. Saitō."

 _"Alright. And tell Sayori to turn her phone on! It's been going straight to voicemail for the past 15 minutes."_

"Alright, I will," I chuckle. "See you later."

I hang up the phone, and Sayori suddenly cries, "I can't believe we forgot! She must've been so worriiieeed!"

"Hey Sayori, it's fine," I chuckle, putting an arm around her. "She said to tell you that your phone was going straight to voicemail."

"Waa! I forgot to turn it on after school!" she exclaims as she fumbles around for her phone.

Once she turns it on, we return to our homework. Neither one of us have too much to do, so we are able to finish by the time the police start dispersing and Yashiro comes back.

"C'mon, let's go," he says.

Sayori and I stand up after putting away our things, and I ask, "What's the situation?"

"Well, Natsuki is gonna stay overnight at the hospital," he sighs. "I wasn't able to talk to her, but she saw I was here. And her bastard of a father–"

Sayori gasps but doesn't verbally object to his language.

"–was arrested. Serves him right."

We start walking homewards together, Sayori closely pressed against my side and Yashiro walking on my other side.

"I guess she won't be at school tomorrow either," I sigh.

"But I miss her already," Sayori whines.

"Actually, I'm probably going to skip the club meeting tomorrow to check up on her," Yashiro says. "One of you can text me where we stop reading, right?"

"Yeah, for sure," I nod.

"Eeeh? But I wanna visit her too!" Sayori says.

"Well so do I, but we should go to the club. Otherwise half of the members will be missing."

"I... guess you're right..." she looks down.

"Why not visit her after the club?" he asks.

"We're going on a date tomorrow," I say.

"Anon, don't just say that!" Sayori whines as her face reddens.

"Really? Is this your first one?... Other than the festival, I guess..."

"Yeah, it is," I say with a nod.

"Where are you going?"

"That new seafood restaurant in the shopping center close to our houses," I say. "Then we might see a movie."

"That place is pretty expensive," Yashiro says. "Great spot for a first date."

"Yeah," I say, before realizing something. "Sayori, didn't your mom say she was getting us clothes to wear?"

"Oh yeah!" Sayori exclaims. "That might be why she was so annoyed that we weren't home!"

"Wait, she wanted us to call her when we're on our way!" I remember and take out my phone.

I tell Mrs. Saitō that we're coming home once she picks up the phone, then the three of us walk all the way to Yashiro's street. There, Sayori and I separate from him and make our way to her house.

_

 _(Notes:_ _So that was it! I know a lot of fics take a more "beat the shit out of him" approach to Natsuki's dad, but I feel like these guys are smart enough to take the more legal route. And next chapter, Mrs. Saitō will be dressing these wonderful children up in formal wear! Wow, can't wait to see that! And maybe some insight on Sayori's angst towards Yashiro... Maybe... Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed! As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_

 _(Required plug for my MHA story, which just reached 1k followers! Kinda a jump up from this one, eh? Anyways, sorry if I prioritize that story over this one a lot of the time. I didn't expect it to grow this quickly, but I mean... Priorities, right?)_


	36. Thursday Night

_(Wow, we reached 200 followers on this story! I never really expected that because the fandom is pretty dead for Doki Doki on this website, but here we are! And also, it only took me 2 weeks to post this! Improvement, right? Thanks to all of you who enjoy this story!)_

 ** _I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

"Mom! We're home!" Sayori calls as we walk into her house.

"Hey sweetie! Anon!" Mrs. Saitō answers from the kitchen. "Dinner is just about ready, so come sit down!"

"Alright!" she calls back. "Anon, I gotta go to the bathroom. You go sit, okay?"

"Alright," I nod. "I'll take your backpack to your room first though."

"Aww, would you?" she smiles before kissing my cheek. "Thanks babe!"

"Yeah, of course."

I take her backpack before she twirls around and makes her way to the bathroom. I follow until I reach her room, where I set her backpack down, then go to the guest room where I set mine down. Next I head to the kitchen.

"Hi Mrs. Saitō," I say as I walk in, and see her filling three bowls of donburi.

"Oh hey Anon," she smiles at me. "How was school?"

"Pretty uneventful, honestly," I sigh as I was my hands. "It's a nice rest from the regular school work load."

"That's good," she says. "Where Sayori?"

"She had to go to the bathroom."

"Which number?"

"Like I'd ask that," I chuckle. "She probably won't be too long though."

"Oh, well I was wondering... What exactly were you doing at this 'friend's house'?"

"Oh, well, umm..." I scratch my head. "It's kinda a long story."

"Well, I'll sit through it," she says with a smile. "Unless, of course, you were doing something I'd disapprove of?"

"WHAT?! NO!" I exclaim, raising my hands. "N-Nothing like that!"

"Well then, I'd like to know what it was," she says.

"Well... Our friend Yashiro..."

I tell her the story as we sit down at the table. Everything from Yashiro's suspicion up to the actual calling of the police and the arrest.

"... and once they were done questioning Yashiro, we started walking home."

"Oh, I... Oh God," she sighs. "I'm sorry for being suspicious and everything... But that sounds awful..."

"Yeah, I'm pretty worried," I admit. "But she's staying the night in the hospital."

"Oh, are you telling her about Natsuki?" Sayori asks as she walks in.

"Yeah, I just finished telling her about it," I say.

Sayori sits down and takes a deep inhale through her nose. "Mmm! Smells great Mom!"

"Yeah, it does," I agree. "Thanks for dinner, Mrs. Saitō."

"Oh, of course! Dig in!" she says with a smile. We begin eating the (as usual) delicious meal that Mrs. Saitō prepared for us, and she asks, "Sayori sweetie... How are you holding up over this thing with your friend?"

"Mm..." Sayori hums as she swallows her food. "I mean, I was sad when I found out, but she's doing good now, so..."

"Baby, you know you can tell us if there's anything wrong," her mother says firmly.

"Yeah, I know," Sayori giggles. "I promise I will, 'kay?"

"Alright," Mrs. Saitō takes another bite. "Did you two finish all of your homework?"

"Yeah, we did," I say, and Sayori vehemently nods her head with me.

"Well good, because I got some outfits for each of you to try on!"

"OOH!" Sayori exclaims giddily. "You got them?!"

"I have a couple for each of you," she smiles. "I'm glad you're excited!"

"I... appreciate it," I say nervously as I scratch my neck. "Really, you didn't need to..."

"Of course I did!" she laughs. "My daughter's boyfriend has to look good when he's taking her on her first date!"

"Oh, I can't wait to see!" Sayori says as she hugs my arm. "I bet you'll look great!"

"Not as good as you will, I bet," I chuckle.

"That reminds me!" Mrs. Saitō says. "You can't see each other's outfits before your date tomorrow!"

"Eeh?" Sayori whines. "I wanna see it today!"

"Be patient! It's supposed to be a big reveal, after all!"

"Hmph!" Sayori takes a large bite and pouts at her mother.

"Come on babe," I chuckle. "I mean, it makes sense, right?"

"Yeah, but shtill..." she mumbles as she chews.

Once we finish eating, Mrs. Saitō brings us upstairs to our rooms. She tells me to try on the outfits that are laid out in the guest room while she goes to "play dress up with Sayori", which is good because Sayori isn't supposed to be left alone for very long, even if I'm just in the next room over. When I walk in, I notice two dress shirts, a pair of dark slacks, and a suit jacket. One of the dress shirts is white, while the other is a pale blue. Next to them are also a few bowties of varying colors.

I put on the slacks, which surprisingly fit pretty well, and the white dress shirt and suit jacket. I look in the mirror and am surprised that it doesn't look too bad. I hold up the different bowties, and the only one that looks any good is the black one. I take off the suit jacket and examine what it looks like with only the dress shirt, and decide it looks better with the jacket than without it. Next I put on the light blue shirt. This one actually looks better _without_ the suit jacket on, and both the black and dark blue bowties look good with it.

' _I'll probably take the blue dress shirt, considering we're planning on going to see a movie or something afterwards,_ ' I muse as I change into my casual clothes. ' _We still have to plan that part, don't we?_ '

I walk out of the guest bedroom, and hear voices coming from Sayori's room. I guess they're still trying on different outfits, so I walk down to the living room and sit down to look at my phone. There is a showing for a new superhero movie at 8:00 PM tomorrow, so we could see that after dinner. There'll be some extra space in between though, so we can go to the arcade or something beforehand.

I'm there for a while before Sayori runs down the stairs and tackles me in a hug on the couch, exclaiming, "We picked one out!"

"That's good," I chuckle. "How'd it look?"

"I-I mean, it looks pretty good," she says with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Actually, it looks amazing," Mrs. Saitō chuckles as she leans on the side of the couch. "Which did you pick, Anon?"

"The blue one," I say. "Without the suit jacket, because we're probably gonna go see a movie afterwards."

"Oh yeah, we need to see what's on!" Sayori remembers.

"I already did. That new superhero movie is on at 8."

"Oh, I heard it's good!" she says excitedly.

"Anon, you can pay for the restaurant, but there'll be a special place in Hell for me if I don't pay for the movie," Mrs. Saitō says.

"That's not–"

" _I'M PAYING FOR THE MOVIE._ "

"T-Thank you," I say quietly with a bow of the head.

Sayori and I watch TV and use our phones as we sit together on the couch until it's time to go to bed. We put our things away, get dressed, brush our teeth, and all of those things. Then we lay down in her bed and she sets the alarm.

"I'm so excited for our date~" she hums as she smiles at me.

"Me too," I say. "Hey Sayori, earlier... Remember when I asked why you hated Yashiro so much?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah..."

"You said we could talk about it later."

"Yeah..."

"So... what is it that makes you hate him?"

"Do you... remember when we met him?" she asks, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

"Not specifically," I say as I try to recall the circumstances. "I remember that it was our first year of middle school."

"Yeah... That was when... you started to drift away from me," she whispers. When I don't answer, she continues, "I always thought that he was the reason... That if only we never met him, then you wouldn't have gone away..."

"I... didn't think..." I start, trying to come up with some response. "I guess I never really thought about that. But... you actually might be right."

"Huh?" she looks up at my eyes.

"Remember what I said about why I started avoiding you? That it was because I felt weird about you?"

"Mm-hm..."

"I think... I didn't notice it until I started hanging out with Yashiro," I sigh. "You know how he is... Hanging around him kinda made me... more aware of girls, I guess. Then I started noticing how different I felt about you, and..."

"Yashiro..." she grumbles. "So I was right..."

"But it was my fault that I handled it poorly," I say. "He always tried to get me to confess to you, but I always said that I didn't feel that way about you. I... really believed that I didn't, so I didn't get it when I started feeling weird about you... and I got scared because I didn't understand."

"But... You do love me after all, right?" she asks.

"Of course I love you Sayori," I say before putting my hand on the back of her head and giving her a small kiss. "And I always will."

"I... love you too, Anon..."

She hesitantly leans forward and kisses me again, a little bit longer this time. Then she tightens her embrace around me and pulls me into another one. She pushes against me until we turn so that she's lying on top of me.

"I... Anon..." she whispers against my face, which is just inches away. Even in the darkness her blush is obvious. "I don't want you to ever leave me again."

"I won't," I whisper as I pull her down to lay her head over my shoulder.

"L-Like my parents... Like how m-my dad isn't ever home anymore, o-or anything else either... I always want to be with you."

"I'm not letting go, I promise," I say.

"I don't... want you... t... to...

Sayori falls asleep and her head sets down next to mine on the pillow. I sigh and press my cheek against hers. Is it really so complicated? We love each other, so isn't that enough? Why are there so many hidden layers here that I don't know about? What can I do to make it better for her?

All I can do is stay by her side and try to prove that she means that much to me. Sayori... I'm sorry for not noticing sooner. I'll never make a mistake like that again.

"I promise," I whisper into her neck.

_

"Natsuki..." Sayori's voice whispers next to my ear.

I lift my head up and look down at her. Her eyes are closed, and there are tears going down her cheeks. Another nightmare?

"I'm sorry... Please, I... I tried... Hah!" She suddenly let's out a sob.

"Sayori!" I say as I shake her awake.

"W-Wha?!" she squeaks and flinches as she wakes up. "Anon? W-Where–?!"

She looks up at me after I put a hand on her shoulder, then she bursts out in tears as she throws her arms around me.

"It's alright," I say as I pull her against me. "I'm here, it was just a bad dream. Natsuki is fine."

She keeps crying as her hands grip my back and she presses her face into my chest. After a while she calms down, but neither of us let go and we stay sitting up.

"I'm sorry," she whispers after a while. "I woke you up with my nightmare, didn't I..?"

"Sayori, I already told you that I _want_ you to wake me up."

"... Thank you... Anon..."

"For what?"

"You're the one who woke _me_ up," she says quietly.

"... Of course," I said. "I'll always be here to bring you back to reality."

"Thank you... so much..." she trembles as she lets out a final sigh. "... I feel light-headed... ehe~"

"Yeah, you need to rest," I whisper as I lay her down.

"So do you," she says. "Right?"

"Yeah," I nod. I lean down and cup her cheek as I kiss her lips. "Goodnight babe. I'll see you in the morning."

"G'night," she whispers.

I lay down next to her and look at her as she looks back at me. I wrap an arm around her and pull her against me, and she leans into my shoulder. And then I feel my heavy eyelids pull closed again.

_

 _(Notes: I'm just now realizing that we're dawning on the end of this fic. It's just going to be Friday, which is the day of the date, and then Saturday, which will be the day of the therapist appointment. I don't want to say that I'm getting emotional, but... I mean, this is not only the first fic I posted here, but the first one I'd ever written. And looking back, I kinda hate what I did in the early chapters, specifically with the moment that MC realized he loved Sayori. It was kind of a passive realization instead of a 'slap to the face' moment. I'm thinking of rewriting like 2 or 3 parts, but... Well, we'll see. And of course I have my other fics now, as well as the follow up to this one that I'm planning to do._

 _Anyways, I'm planning on spending minimal time on the club meeting for Friday, since we have the reading circle going on now and I want to get to the date. Then on Saturday, before the therapist appointment, I don't really know how to fill the time. There'll definitely be a visit to Natsuki, but other than that it's up in the air. As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	37. Friday Morning (11-18 14:14:30)

_(Hello friends! I'm back with another chapter! So the date is probably two chapters away now, just to let you know. And I'm always glad to see more new followers on this story! It's nice since it doesn't happen very often anymore, but that's just how it is. Also, DDLC turned 1 year old a week ago! It makes me wonder if Dan Salvato will actually make a follow-up or not eventually, considering we haven't heard anything about it. Whatever, you still have me! Enjoy this more lighthearted chapter than normal!)_

 ** _I do not own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story._**

_

"Anon, wake up!" I hear Sayori say as she shakes my shoulders.

"W-What?!" I ask as I sit up in bed. "Sayori, what is it?"

"It's time to get up!" she says excitedly with a smile.

I look at her clock and see that... she's apparently waking me up 4 minutes early. That's unlike her.

"Sayori, why are you awake early?" I ask as I rub my head.

"C'mon! It's a big day!" she exclaims. "I can't help being excited!"

"Oh yeah, we're going on our date tonight," I remember.

"Ehh? You don't sound excited at all!" she pouts at me.

"I'm just drowsy, I'll be excited later," I wave my hand at her. "Did you take a shower yet?"

"No, I haven't," she shakes her head. "I'm gonna take mine first today, okay? You just stay right here and enjoy the cozy blanket!"

"... Why did you wake me up if you were going to tell me to stay in bed anyway?" I ask.

"Because! The best part of sleeping is lazing around in bed after you wake up!" she giggles. "I just wanted to let you experience that!"

"Thanks," I say, smiling at her thoughtfulness. "It _is_ cozy in here, after all."

"Man, I'm jealous," she sighs. "Oh well, I'm off to take my shower! Love ya babe!"

"Love you," I call before she picks up her clothes and leaves.

I won't deny that it's enjoyable to just lie still under the soft, warm blankets. Sayori really is a caring girlfriend, at least in her own way. I sigh as I let my body relax, and I let my thoughts refocus on what happened last night. During dinner she told Mrs. Saitō and I that she was feeling alright about Natsuki, but her nightmare last night makes me think that she feels plenty guilty about it. Even though there was no way she could've known, and we saved her in the end. At least she's feeling alright now that she's focused on the date. Unless that's a lie too.

_

"Anon, it's your turn in the shower," Sayori whispers in my ear as she rests herself on top of me.

Her hair is damp, and she smells nice. I sit up and she gets up with me, then I stretch with a yawn. I look at her and see that she's already wearing her uniform, and she's not put together as sloppily as normal. Her collar is straight, her hair is combed, and her red bow is straighter.

"Did I doze off?" I ask.

"Yeah," she answers before giggling, "Blankets must've been comfy."

"They were," I say. "You look nice."

"Thanks, I wasn't in as much of a rush today," she says. "You had better get to the shower, or else _you'll_ be in a rush! Ehehe~!"

"Right, I'll go now," I say and stand up.

"I'll make breakfast while you're in there, 'kay?"

"Yeah, thanks babe," I say. "I'll kiss you after I brush my teeth."

"Ehehe~, sounds good!" she giggles.

I head to the guest bedroom to grab my uniform then go into the shower. It's still humid because of Sayori taking one previously, so I hurry through it pretty quickly. I get my uniform on and brush my teeth before putting my sleep clothes back with the rest of my dirty clothes and heading down to the kitchen.

"Hey Anon!" Sayori greets me from the stove, where I see eggs in a pan (and I smell bacon as well).

"Hey babe," I say, walking up behind her and putting my arms around her shoulders. "Eggs?"

"With toast and bacon!" she chirps, and the toast pops up on cue.

"Smells great," I say before kissing the top of her head. "Thanks babe."

"Sure thing! Can you grab some plates and put the toast on them?"

"Yeah," I nod my head as I let go of her.

I grab two plates and put a piece of toast on each, and then the microwave signals that the bacon is ready. I also grab that, which is a horribly catastrophic mistake which results in a minor pain on my thumbs and index fingers because it's still hot. Anyways, I plate the bacon just in time for Sayori to finish with the eggs, then help her plate those and set the table. Then we sit next to each other to eat.

"Mm, this tastes great," I sigh as I chew my first bite of egg. "Thanks a ton!"

"Mhm!" she nods her head as she stuffs both pieces of bacon into her mouth. "Anything for you!"

"Aww, don't spoil me," I chuckle before taking a bite of the toast.

"Well, what if I do?" she asks as she wraps her arms around my arm.

"Then I shall have been defeated," I sigh and shake my head. "Felled by your good will."

"... I would defeat you by making you fall?" She tilts her head.

"I... Uh, metaphorically, you wouldn't necessarily be _wrong_ , I guess," I ponder. "It depends on the situation."

"I don't get it," she frowns.

"Sorry, I shouldn't be so extravagant with my words," I chuckle and put an arm around her before I continue to eat. "I meant that I can't stop you. Thanks again babe."

"You're welcome again," she giggles.

Mrs. Saitō comes in as we finish eating and takes our plates to wash them for us. Meanwhile, Sayori and I make our lunches and finish packing our bags.

"Alright you two, have a good day today!" Mrs. Saitō says as she gets into her car. "I'll be here later to make sure everything's set for your date!"

She drives off, and Sayori and I walk towards school. All the while, Sayori is brimming with energy. She holds my arm tightly as she points out different things that one normally wouldn't pay any mind. The warmth of the sun, the chirping of the birds, and even the sweet smells of a flowerbed we pass are recipients of her wonder.

' _She must be really excited about the date_ ,' I muse as I smile down at her.

"What is it?" she asks when she sees me looking at her.

"Nothing. You're just cute."

I lean down and kiss the side of her head, and as I do she tightens her grip on my arm.

"Aww, thanks~," she sighs contentedly. "But you know, I'm not as cute as... y'know..." she looks away at the ground and her expression visibly darkens.

"Sayori, why did you say that you were fine last night?" I ask. "You obviously aren't. You even had that nightmare."

"I... dunno," she sighs. "I'm getting used to opening up to you, but my mom is a different case. I really don't want her to worry about me too much."

"She's your mother, dummy," I sigh as I embrace her. "She loves you a whole lot, right?"

"Right," she nods her head against me.

"She'll support you just like I do," I say into her hair. "You should work on opening up to her more."

"I know," she sighs with another nod. Then she lets me go and takes out her phone.

"What're you doing?" I ask as we resume our walk.

"I'm texting Natsuki to tell her I'm thinking about her," she says as she smiles down at her phone.

"That's thoughtful of you," I say. "I'm sure she'll be glad to hear from you. Also, tell her I said hi."

"Ehehe~! Will do!" she smiles up at me.

We arrive and stick together until the bell rings, just like usual. Then we each head to class with the agreement to meet again at our now regular lunch table. During class, Haroki brings up my and Sayori's relationship for the first time since first finding out about it. He teases me about how far we've gotten, or whether we have any "romantic escapades" planned, but I ignore most of it.

Soon enough it's time for lunch, and I make a stop by the restroom on the way. When I do arrive, I'm surprised to see Sayori and Yashiro chatting. That is, _cordially_ _chatting_ and not _arguing like children_ like they normally do.

"Hey Anon!" Sayori chirps and waves at me.

"Hey, what's going on here?" I ask. "You two aren't at each other's throats! What it's it, Christmas?"

"Yeah, might as well be, right?" Yashiro chuckles.

"If it was, we'd be out of school," I say as I sit down next to Sayori and give her a kiss. "Have either of you heard from Natsuki?"

"Yep!" Sayori exclaims. "She says she's feeling okay!"

"And she's allowed visitors already, so I'm definitely going later," Yashiro says as he eats his food. As I get my own food out, he asks, "Are you sure you don't want to skip the club meeting to see her?"

"We have to go man," I sigh. "We have enough time before our date, so we can show up for a bit afterwards."

"Oh, I don't wanna wait that long!" Sayori sighs exasperatedly as she pushes a grape into her mouth. "I'm glad Natsuki is doing alright though."

"Eh? What happened to Natsuki?" a voice asks next to our table, and I turn to identify the source as Yuri, who has Yashiro tagging along.

"Oh, are you gonna sit with us again?" Sayori asks excitedly.

"Yes, if that's alright," Yuri says with a nod.

"Definitely!" Sayori smiles widely.

"But what happened to Natsuki?" Yuri asks again as she and Kaito sit down.

"A-Ah, well, you see," Sayori stutters as she scratches her cheek.

"When we went to her house to give her the book we're reading, we found out her dad was abusing her," Yashiro says. "We called the police, he got arrested, and Natsuki is in the hospital but is alright."

"What?!" Yuri exclaimed.

"R-Really?!" Kaito is also visibly fairly concerned.

"H-How can you be so blunt?!" Sayori exclaims at Yashiro.

"It is what it is," he shrugs. "I mean, I _guess_ I could use some cheering up about it. Sayori, if you would..."

"... What?" she asks.

"Yashiro, don't say another word," I say, scooting closer to Sayori and putting a protective hand on her shoulder.

"Fine, whatever," he sighs. "Natsuki can do it when I visit later."

"She can do..." Sayori's eyes widen suddenly in understanding. "G-GROSS!! YASHIROOO!"

"What can I say? I'm a romantic!" Yashiro laughs.

"I-I'm still just shocked about everything that must've happened to her," Yuri sighs. "Perhaps I'll visit her later as well. Oh, speaking of, who knows about this?"

"Just us," I say.

"Oh, so Monika doesn't know?"

"No. Now that you mention it, she'd probably want to be in the loop, being our club president and all."

"We can tell her later," Sayori says. "Let's focus on eating right now, okay?"

"Yeah, right," I nod. "So, anyone doing anything fun this weekend?"

"K-Kaitaro and I are visiting a museum," Yuri says. "It looks really interesting."

"Ooh, that sounds cool!" Sayori says brightly. "What kind of museum?"

"It's full of exhibits on different affluent families throughout history," she explains. "Things they did, businesses they owned, that kind of thing."

"Ohh," Sayori nods.

"What about you Yashiro?" I ask.

"Nothin planned in particular," he shrugs. "Hitting the gym, visiting Natsuki probably, y'know."

"Sounds fun and exciting," I say sarcastically.

"Man, you want to come work out with me finally?" he asks. "You said you would think about it like a month ago. Plus, I think it'd be great for your health!"

"I'm not really able to right now, but I do want to."

"Bleh, whatever," Yashiro shrugs. "You and Sayori said your date is today, right?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Sayori nods quickly. "It's gonna so great!

"Oh, you two are going on a date?" Yuri tilts her head and gives a soft smile. "Sounds nice! What are you going to do?"

"We're gonna grab dinner then head to see that new superhero movie," I say.

"Oh, I already saw it," Kaito says. "It was good. A-At least I think so."

"Yeah, we heard it is," Sayori says. Then, turning to Yashiro, "Anyways, _you_ might wanna start with a date too before even suggesting _that_ kind of stuff to Natsuki."

"What's that, advice?" he chuckles. "Anon, maybe it really _is_ Christmas!"

"I'm surprised too," I say, looking down at Sayori.

"But if you really thought I was serious about that earlier, then you still have no respect for me huh?" Yashiro sighs.

"I-I was joking too!" Sayori says. "I mean, I wasn't joking that that's what you should do first, b-but I was joking about taking you seriously! Yeah!"

"That want sincere at all!" Yashiro cries.

We all laugh and keep an idle chatter until the bell rings to dismiss us, then we go our separate ways to class.

_

 _(Notes: So I combined the morning and lunchtime scenes this time because there wasn't much happening. Maybe I'm just getting used to writing long periods of time because of my MHA stories. But speaking of, I'm gonna go see the new movie in like an hour, so I'm just gonna put this up now. As always, feedback and input are greatly appreciated and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


	38. Friday Afternoon

_Guest, I am very aware of how long this took. And I am sorry for not posting an update sooner, but writing is something I do for fun. I simply got burned out on this story. Now I feel burned out on writing in general, and it's not something I have a drive to do anymore, at least for my current stories. I'll still update, but it isn't a priority in my life. I'm sorry, again, but that's how it is._

 _ **I**_ _ **don't own Doki Doki Literature Club or any of the characters portrayed in this story.**_

_

At the end of the school day, I exit my classroom and meet Sayori soon. She's apparently still excited about the date, as she happily clamps to my arm upon seeing me.

"Hey Anon~" she giggles as she presses her lips to my cheek. "How was class?"

"Good," I smile before kissing her back on her temple. "How was yours?"

"Eh, I dunno... Wasn't paying too much attention," she admits.

"Sayori, I really don't want you falling behind in class," I sigh.

"I know, but I was too busy thinking," she pouts.

"Well you _should_ be thinking about your school work."

"Ehhh, but there's no way I could focus when we have our date tonight!"

"Well... Not that I don't understand, but you really should stay focused on your studies," I say with a chuckle.

"Well, sorry," she sighs. "But give me a pass for today!"

"Alright, you get a pass," I smile and roll my eyes.

We reach the clubroom soon enough, and Monika greets us at the door.

"I heard about Natsuki from Yuri," she sighs. "I thought that we might all visit her after the meeting, if everyone would be alright with it."

"Sounds good to me," Sayori smiles.

"We were planning to visit anyways," I say. "Yashiro is already going to visit I think."

"Skipping out on the club, eh?" she sighs with a light laugh. "I _do_ put effort into these meeting you know."

"I'm sure he's appreciative," I chuckle.

"Ah, one second Anon," Sayori says, letting go of my arm. "I'm gonna go chat with Yuri a bit."

"What about?"

"Nothinnggg~" she giggles as she walks away.

"Actually, that works out," Monika says. "I've been meaning to have a conversation with you Anon. You know, privately."

"Oh, sure. What's up?" I take a glance inside the club room to see that Sayori is talking to Yuri and Kaitaro, then look back at Monika.

"Well, it's about Sayori... I understand that you two are very close, and that she needs a pillar of support right now, but... Well, are you just doing this to help her? Or do you really... love her?"

"Hm? Of course I love her," I say. "I know it might sound sappy or whatever, but she's more important to me than anything and I wouldn't want to leave her side for anything."

"Ah, I see," Monika says with a glance down at the floor as she takes a little step to the side. Then she looks back up at me and smiles, "Well then, I'm glad you're planning to take it seriously. I'll support you two all the way!"

"Yeah, thanks," I nod with a decidedly uncomfortable chuckle. "Is that all, or...?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah! You can go in," she waves her hand and laughs. "I'll... be another moment, okay?"

"Alright," I nod before turning around and walking into the classroom. That was weird. I wonder why she was acting so strange?

"U-Um, hello Anon," Kaitaro says as he walks up to me. "Yuri suggested that I get to know some more club members, so... I thought we could talk a little?"

I glance at Sayori again, who is still talking to Yuri, before nodding, "Sure Kaitaro, what should we talk about?"

We end up talking for a while about classes, plans for the future, that sort of thing. It seems Kaitaro is really set on becoming a writer. Not creative writing like Yuri seems to be into, but argumentative writing and essays. I, myself, am not at all that certain about my future. Something creative for sure, since math was never really my thing, but I have nothing very specific planned. He tries to suggest a few things, but I really have no inclination. Huh, I should fix that...

Sashi arrives soon and joins Yuri and Sayori in their conversation, then Monika comes back holding a couple of folders and vehemently apologizing for taking so long. We almost immediately start reading, Sayori reclaiming her spot at my side as we do. Since Natsuki is absent again, along with Yashiro, we only read one chapter. It's mostly set-up for the actual plot of the novel, showing the background of the main protagonist's life and setting up his motivations. Nothing about finding the stowaway yet, but it's easy to assume what will happen given what the story's back cover summary says.

Once we finish reading, we decide that we all want to visit Natsuki in the hospital. So we all pack up and head over there together.

"What were you talking about with Yuri and Sashi?" I ask Sayori as we walk.

She laughs and hugs my arm closer, then leans against my shoulder and sighs, "Ehehe~ We were talking about tonight!"

"Tonight? What, were you asking for advice or something?"

"Yeah, sorta," she nods. Then she lets out another giggle, "Ehehe, I'm so excited about tonight! I just can't get over it~!"

"Haha, well I'm glad," I chuckle as I look down at her. Then I lean down and peck her lips. "Love you babe."

Sayori gets into another giggle fit, and presses her face against my shoulder before mumbling "Love you too."

Sayori is just so damn cute sometimes. But she hasn't acted this... well, sheepish since we first started the relationship. Maybe she's just nervous about the date. She does seem to think of it as a big deal, so that could be it.

Once we reach the hospital, we talk to a receptionist that tells us which room Natsuki is in. We're allowed to visit, thankfully, so we all make our way there then stop outside.

"Really, I mean it," I hear Natsuki say inside.

"I know you mean it, but it sounds weird coming from you," Yashiro's voice laughs in reply.

"Oh, just shut it!" she groans. "I guess I'll keep my thanks to myself from now on!"

Sayori is the first of us to open the door to the room, exclaiming, "We're here!!" as she does so. She rushes to Natsuki's side and grabs her hand, asking, "Hey, how're you doing? Any better?"

Sayori is too occupied to notice, but I take specific note of the fact that Natsuki's other hand is being held by Yashiro.

"Everyone?" the small girl asks with a smile. "Hey, you all came to visit!"

"Of course we did," Yuri says as she holds both of her hands up in front of her chest. "We wanted to make sure you were all right."

"Not just physically," Monika says as she kneels next to Sayori. "I know this kind of thing is, well, traumatizing, but we want to support you through it."

"Guys..." Natsuki looks around at everyone, almost seeming touched for a moment. But it only lasted for that moment. "You think that old geezer could do anything to me?! I don't need your worry! I can deal with it myself!"

"Except we had to call the cops to save you," I point out.

"I meant the recovery part!" she exclaims. Then she sighs, "But I really do appreciate your help, Sayori, Anon. And I'm glad you stopped this moron from doing something stupid." She juts her thumb at Yashiro (hey, they stopped holding hands. must be because we're all here).

"Hey, I wasn't going to do anything!" Yashiro says, putting his arms up.

"But you wanted to fight him," Sayori tilts her head.

"Yeah, but I wasn't _gonna_ ," he sighs.

"The only reason you weren't gonna was because we were there," I say.

"I..." Yashiro started, but couldn't come up with the words.

"Okay, let's all calm down about this," Monika laughs. "We're just here to visit, not remember the... incident."

"Ugh, don't coddle me," Natsuki grumbles and crosses her arms. "I'm fine."

"But you're just so cute, I can't help but want to hug you and surround you with warm fluffy things!" Sayori exclaims as she hugs her tight.

Natsuki pushes against her, grunting, "I am _not_ cute!"

"You kinda are," Yashiro says.

"Don't take her side!" the pink haired girl yells.

"P-Please, this is a hospital," Yuri reminds them.

"Yeah," I nod. "Sayori, don't hug her if she doesn't want to be hugged."

"Aww, but I..." Sayori looks at me with a pout before releasing the girl in the medical bed. "Sorry... Natsuki..."

"It's fine," she says.

"I actually think we should give Natsuki some more space than just avoiding hugs," Sashi speaks up. "After all, she probably wants some alone time with _Yashiro_ , right?"

"S-Sashi!" Natsuki gasps as a blush appears on her cheeks.

Sashi is incredible perceptive... if simultaneously incredibly blunt.

"Well I actually should get going," Monika says.

"Yeah, Sayori and I have to go too," I say.

"Ehh? We don't have more time?" she frowns at me.

"No, we have to go."

"U-Um, actually," Natsuki says quietly. "There's another thing to get sorted out..."

"Hm? What's up?" Sayori asks.

"I... don't have anywhere to go once I get out of here. I don't know if I'll be allowed to stay in my house, since my dad pays the bills and he's, well, y'know... S-So I was wondering, if I need to, could I stay with one of you?"

"OF COURSE!" Sayori exclaims quickly. "I'd love to have you over!"

"Um, Sayori," I say and clear my throat. "I think your house is a little, uh, crowded."

"Hm?" Sayori tilts her head at me. "What do you mean? We have the spare room since you don't use it, right?"

"I didn't mean sleeping space," I quickly insist, but it's too late. She already said it.

"What do you mean he doesn't use it?" Natsuki asks. "Sayori, why would Anon be using a bedroom in your house?"

"Ah? Ah... A-Ah!" Sayori suddenly blushes as she realizes the position she's gotten herself into, since we haven't told anyone that we're sleeping together (even Yashiro, who we only told that we're living together).

"Wait, you didn't know that they're living together?" Yashiro asks. "They said it's a part of Sayori's therapy."

"Why would she need that to deal with her depression?!" Natsuki exclaims.

"Wait, she's depressed?" Sashi asks.

"U-Um, yeah," Sayori nods.

"But you two are _living together_?" Monika asks.

"The therapist said it's best for me to stay close to her," I explain.

"Okay, but what's this about not using the guest bedroom?" Yashiro ponders aloud. "Ah, I get it! You're sleeping together, huh?"

"WHAT?!" half of the club members exclaim.

"There's no way you dumbass," Natsuki insists. Then she turns to Sayori, "Right?"

"A-Ah, I, uh," Sayori stammers and trembles. Then she hugs me and cries, "I-I don't know what to say! Anon, help!"

I reply, "Well I don't know either–!"

"Anon," Monika says, gripping my shoulder and showing an obviously fake smile, "what did you do to Sayori?"

"Yeah, what did you do?" Sashi asks, gripping my other shoulder.

"U-Um, guys," Yuri says from The sidelines.

"N-Nothing! We did nothing!" I insist. "We slept! That's it!"

"G-Guys, he didn't do anything!" Sayori exclaims. "Really!"

Natsuki and Yashiro are both laughing really hard, while Yuri and Kaito have no idea what to do. Finally, Monika and Sashi let me go (though Monika has an obvious frown as she does so).

"I-I would offer my house for you Natsuki, but it's a bit crowded as well," Yuri says in an attempt to change the subject of the conversation. "My family is a bit hectic."

"You could stay with me," Monika offers. "As long as you keep that manga stuff out of my house."

"Bleh, no thanks," Natsuki crosses her arms.

"I think I could let you stay, at least for a while," Sashi says. "Even though we don't really know each other that well, I... I'm gonna be honest, I don't know anyone that well."

"Me neither," Natsuki says. "A-And I hope I'll be able to go to my own home, but I guess I'll let you know."

"Or you could stay with me since Anon and Say– _OOHF_!" Yashiro is punched in the gut.

"Yeah, and how long have they known each other?!" Natsuki growls, clenching her fist. "Since damn birth or something!"

"Y-Yeah," he mutters as he holds his stomach. "I was just joking..."

Once we inform the absentees about where we stopped reading, we all say our farewells to the other club members with the insistence that everyone would have a nice weekend and that we would see each other on Monday. Then Sayori and I finally get home to get ready for our date.

_

 _(Notes: I'm back guys. Yeah, like I said above, the updates aren't going to get any more frequent. I know you'll understand, but I've been having a block on all of my stories recently. On top of that I have less time to write anyways, since life is happening. But hey, I'm not gone! Yet._

 _As_ _always_ _, feedback and input are greatly appreciated and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)_


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